LS9 - Cognitive Interview Flashcards
Cognitive Interview
Developed by Fisher & Geiselman, aims to increase the accuracy of witness recall of events by providing cues.
Original Police Interviews
Use lots of brief and direct/closed questions, witnesses were also often interrupted and not allowed to talk freely.
4 Principles
Context Reinstatement
Report Everything
Recall In Changed Order
Recall From Changed Perspective
Context Reinstatement
The interviewee is encouraged to mentally recreate the physical & psychological environment e.g. weather. This should act as a cue to help retrieve the memory.
Report Everything
Reporting every single detail without editing anything, even if they think it’s insignificant, this avoids interruption & helps recall interconnected memories.
Recall In Changed Order
e.g. reversing the order of events this helps prevent pre-existing schema from influecning the recall of events.
Recall From Changed Perspective
Interviewee is asked to recall from multiple persepectives, again helping to disrupt pre-existing schema.
Enhanced Cognitive Interview
Should actively listen
Ask open ended questions
Pause after each response
Avoid interception
Encourage use of imagery
Adapt language for witnesses
Avoid any judgemental comments
Minimise distractions
CI Strengths
Research Support
Research Support (+)
Gieselman Et Al - In a staged event an intruder wearing a blue rucksack steals a projector, 2 days later participants were either standardly/cognitively interviwed with the misleading questions ‘Was the guy with the green bag nervous?’. They were then asked the colour of the bag after.
Research Support Results
Pariticpants in the cognitive interview were less likely to recall the rucksack as green.
Cognitive Interview Weaknesses
Time Consuming
Lots Of Training
Lack Of Generalisation
Not Successful On Children
Time Consuming (-)
The time required may not always be available, as more time is needed to allow the interviewee to relax and give all the details.
Lots Of Training (-)
When experienced detectives received little training in CI it didn;t produce any significant improvements in accuracy.
Lack Of Generalisation (-)
Supporting studies were mainly done in labs e.g. Gieselman’s study was watching a staged crime whcih involves very different emotions and consequences to watching a real crime.
