Improving the accuracy of eyewitness testimony: cognitive interview

Question 1

Cognitive interview (CI)
definition

Answer 1

-a method of interviewing eyewitnesses to help them retrieve more accurate memories
└uses 4 main techniques based on well-established psychological knowledge of human memory
└report everything, reinstate context, reverse order, change perspective

Question 2

Cognitive interview (CI)
People

Answer 2

Ronald Fisher and Edward Geiselman (1992)

Question 3

Cognitive interview (CI)
Stages

Answer 3

• Report everything
• Reinstate context
• Reverse order
• Change perspective

Question 4

Cognitive interview (CI)
Report everything

Answer 4

└witnesses encouraged to recall every detain of event
└even if seem irrelevant/they aren’t confident about it
└small details may be important, could trigger important memories

Question 5

Cognitive interview (CI)
Reinstate context

Answer 5

└witness should return to crime scene in their mind
└imagine environment and their emotions
└related to context dependant forgetting

Question 6

Cognitive interview (CI)
Reverse order

Answer 6

└events should be recalled in different chronological order to original sequence
└e.g. from finish to start
└prevents people reporting their expectations/dishonesty

Question 7

Cognitive interview (CI)
Change perspective

Answer 7

└witnesses should recall events from others perspectives

└prevents effect of expectations and schema on recall

Question 8

Enhanced cognitive interview (ECI)

Person

Answer 8

Fisher et al (1987)

Question 9

Enhanced cognitive interview (ECI)

Definition

Answer 9

└developed additional elements of the CI to focus on social dynamics of the interaction
└e.g. when to make eye contact with witness
└ideas such as reducing eyewitness anxiety, minimising distractions, asking open ended questions

Question 10

Enhanced cognitive interview (ECI)

Strengths

Answer 10

└Kohnken et al (1999)
└met analysis, combined data from 50 studies
└ECI consistently provided more correct information than standard police interview
└practical benefits of ECI for police
└greater chance of catching and charging criminals- beneficial to society

Question 11

Cognitive interview (CI)
Strengths

Answer 11

└Milne and Bull (2002)
└found each individual element was equally valuable- produced more information than the standard police interview
└found combination of report everything and context reinstatement produces better recall than any other combinations
└some aspects of CI more useful than others
└at least these 2 elements should be used to improve police interviews even if full CI isn’t used
└increases credibility of CI amongst police officers

Question 12

Cognitive interview (CI)
Limitations
Summary

Answer 12

• CI is time consuming: Kebbell and Wagstaff (1996)

- CI can also increase recall of inaccurate information: Kohnken et al (1999)

Question 13

Cognitive interview (CI)
Limitations
CI is time consuming

Answer 13

└police reluctant to use it as it takes more time than the standard police interview
└time needed to establish rapport with witness, allow them to relax
└CI respires special training
└many forces haven’t been able to provide more than a few hours
└Kebbell and Wagstaff (1996)
└unlikely the proper version of CI is being used
└explains why police may not be that impressed

Question 14

Cognitive interview (CI)
Limitations
CI can also increase recall of inaccurate information

Answer 14

└CI increases recall of correct and incorrect information
└Kohnken et al (1999)
└ECI compared with standard police interview
└81% increase of correct information
└61% increase of incorrect information (false positives)