Investigative Interviews

Question 1

Good Interview Techniques

Answer 1

Open ended questions (allows witness to go at own pace), build rapport with witness (puts them at ease, more likely to disclose), clearly defined rules (expectations of witness).

Question 2

Cognitive Interview

Answer 2

Three stages
(1) build rapport, (2) uninterrupted narrative and (3) interview using cognitive techniques and information from the narrative (context reinstatement, repeated memory search).

Question 3

Critique of Cognitive Interview

Answer 3

Increases the amount of information gained, but there is reluctance to use some techniques (repeated memory search) because it involves reconstructing memories which can lead to misinformation.

Question 4

Self-Administered Interview

Answer 4

Can be used when interviewing at the scene of a crime. Booklets guide witnesses through cognitive techniques for remembering the event, people and scene. Non-leading questions and encourages non-guessing.

Question 5

Critiques of SAI

Answer 5

Better witness reports than free recall, less influence of media and post event information, stronger memory for event later. However, not as comprehensive as cognitive interview. Use both.

Question 6

Grain Size Interview

Answer 6

Three steps to memory reporting. (1) Retrieve a specific (fine grained) answer. (2) Assess answer against a criterion for accuracy. (3) If criterion exceeded, volunteer answer. If not, retrieve a less specific (course grained) answer until criterion is met.

Question 7

Critiques of Grain Sized Interview

Answer 7

Still being developed. May be confusing for jurors. Initial results are promising.