memory 8 Flashcards
What are the 4 stages of the cognitive interview?
Report Everything. Include every single detail of the event - seemingly trivial details could be important and could trigger other memories.
Reinstate context. Return to the crime scene in their mind (environment, senses etc), and emotions → context-dependent forgetting.
Reverse the Order. Recalled in a different order to the original → prevents the reporting of expectations and dishonesty.
Change of perspective. Recall the event from the perspective of other people (e.g. witnesses or perpetrator) → disrupts expectations & Schemata.
What is meant by the enhanced cognitive interview?
Fisher et al. (1987). Additional elements to focus on the social dynamics of the interaction. E.g. knowing when to establish eye-contact and when to relinquish it. Reducing anxiety, minimising distractions, speaking slowly, using open ended questions.
Why are many police forces are reluctant to use the CI?
The CI is time-consuming when compared to the standard interview. More time is needed to establish rapport and allow them to relax. CI also requires special training → forces may not have been able to provide more than a couple of hours training. It is unlikely the proper version of the CI is actually used → explain why police have been unimpressed.
Outline research that supports the effectiveness of the Enhanced Cognitive Interview.
Köhnken et al. (1999) combined data from 50 studies - meta-analysis. The ECI consistently provided more correct information than the standard interview. There are real practical benefits to using the ECI → gives the police a better chance of catching criminals.
Why is it difficult to draw conclusions regarding the effectiveness of the cognitive interview?
Variations are used in every study. Different techniques & the ECI. If a research study evaluates the effectiveness of one version of the CI, then the findings may not apply when it is used differently by a different police force. This makes it very difficult to compare the ways the CI is used. It also makes it easier for police officers to reject it because they could argue, ‘it’ll never work here’.
Report Everything.
Include every single detail of the event - seemingly trivial details could be important and could trigger other memories.
Reinstate context.
Return to the crime scene in their mind (environment, senses etc), and emotions → context-dependent forgetting
Reverse the Order
Recalled in a different order to the original → prevents the reporting of expectations and dishonesty.
Change of perspective.
Recall the event from the perspective of other people (e.g. witnesses or perpetrator) → disrupts expectations & Schemata.
