Memory - Cognitive Interview (EWT) Flashcards
What is the cognitive interview (CI)?
The cognitive interview (CI) is a method of interviewing eyewitnesses to help them retrieve more accurate memories. It uses four main techniques, all based on well-established psychological knowledge of human memory: report everything, reinstate the context, reverse the order, and change perspective.
What does “report everything” involve in the CI?
Witnesses are encouraged to include every detail of the event, even though it may seem irrelevant or the witness isn’t confident about it. Seemingly trivial details may be important and may trigger other important memories.
What is meant by “reinstate the context”?
Witnesses should return to the original crime scene in their mind and imagine the environment (such as what the weather was like) and their emotions. This is related to context-dependent forgetting.
What does reversing the order involve in the CI?
Events should be recalled in a different chronological sequence, for example, from the end to the beginning. This prevents people from reporting their expectations of how the event must have happened rather than the actual events. It also makes dishonesty harder.
What is the purpose of changing perspective in the CI?
Witnesses should recall the incident from other people’s perspectives, for example, how it would have appeared to other witnesses or the perpetrator. This disrupts the effect of expectations and schema on recall.
What is the enhanced cognitive interview (ECI)?
The ECI includes additional elements to the CI to focus on the social dynamics of the interaction. For example, the interviewer needs to know when to establish and relinquish eye contact. The ECI also includes ideas such as reducing eyewitness anxiety, minimizing distractions, and getting the witness to speak slowly and ask open-ended questions.
What is one evaluation point for the CI?
The CI is time-consuming. Police may be reluctant to use the CI because it takes much more time than the standard police interview. It requires special training, and many forces have not been able to provide more than a few hours (Kebbell and Wagstaff, 1996). This means it is unlikely that the “proper” version of the CI is actually used.
What is another evaluation point for the CI?
Some elements of the CI may be more valuable than others. Milne and Bull (2002) found that a combination of “report everything” and “context reinstatement” produced better recall than any other conditions. This confirms officers’ suspicions that some aspects of the CI are more useful than others and suggests that at least these elements should be used.
What is a further evaluation point for the CI?
Research supports the effectiveness of the ECI. A meta-analysis by Köhnken et al. (1999) combined data from 50 studies. The enhanced CI consistently provided more correct information than the standard interview used by police. This is a strength because it shows the practical benefits of the ECI.
What is an evaluation point about incorrect information in the CI?
The CI increases the amount of incorrect information recalled. Köhnken et al. (1999) found an 81% increase in correct information but also a 61% increase in incorrect information (false positives) when the enhanced CI was compared to a standard interview.
