Interviewing Eyewitnesses

Question 1

Our ability to retrieve and recall information lies solely within our memory. True or false?

Answer 1

False

(From notes: “what is remembered and reported may not always come from memory.)

Question 2

According to John Anderson, information is encoded into cognitive units, thus forming an interconnected network of memory traces. Retrieval cues activate these traces; how much and how fast information is recalled depends on the level of activation. This theory is called the:

Answer 2

Spreading activation theory

Question 3

According to Endel Tulving, information should be more accessible if retrieval occurs at the same place it was encoded. This is called:

Answer 3

The encoding specificity principle

Question 4

Research has shown that if a person is drunk when encoding occurs, then they will probably be better at retrieving the same information when drunk. True or false?

Answer 4

True

(Memory is context-dependent. Retrieval is more likely if it occurs in a context where the information was encoded in the first place. In this case, the alcohol itself did not enhance memory but rather the state of being drunk.)

Question 5

According to Tulving’s theory, police have a lot of influence on the way witnesses remember a crime. This is because:
a) interviews usually don’t take place where a crime happened, so retrieval is more difficult (encoding specificity)
b) police provide retrieval cues.

Answer 5

B - police provide retrieval cues.

Question 6

“Did he have a gun?” is an example of a(n):
a) open-ended question
b) forced choice question
c) suggestive question
d) leading question

Answer 6

c - suggestive question.

Question 7

Questioning styles should be:
a) always open-ended
b) like a funnel
c) never forced choice
d) specific (to determine appropriate charges)

Answer 7

b - like a funnel: starting open-ended, then narrowing down

Question 8

In Loftus & Palmer’s (1974) study, participants answering questions about a car accident video estimated the speed of the car based on:

Answer 8

Wording

Question 9

The ‘perfect’ interviewing technique ideally increases the amount of information provided by a witness, without compromising accuracy. This is known as the what of questioning styles?

Answer 9

Holy grail

Question 10

Anatomically detailed dolls are the best possible way of interviewing child victims of sexual abuse. True or false?

Answer 10

False

(NOT enough research on dolls to be a reliable interview technique; there are actually several findings that support the opposite.)

Question 11

In Martyn et al.’s (2015) study, where participants were shown a simulated crime and placed in 1 of 4 free recall conditions, visual aids were found to increase or decrease the amount of accurate information provided?

Answer 11

Increase

Question 12

As supported by findings from Sternberg et al. (1997), rapport is built with open or closed-ended questions, as opposed to the other?

Answer 12

Open-ended questions

Question 13

The Tripartite Model of Rapport asserts that for police to build rapport with interviewees, there must be mutual attentiveness, positivity and which other factor?

Answer 13

Coordination

Question 14

In Barrett’s (ongoing) study, participants were shown a simulated crime and interviewed. Half were given a pen description example of how they should describe what they saw. This lead to more or less information provided during free recall?

Answer 14

More

(However, there was no effect from specific questioning styles of the amount of information participants provided.)

Question 15

In the McMartin preschool case, what problematic questioning style was used by the police during interviews?

Answer 15

Suggestive questioning