memory - improving the accuracy of EWT

Question 1

what did fisher study

Answer 1

the techniques used by police in florida when interviewing witnesses

Question 2

which areas of the standard interview needed improvement

Answer 2

• witnesses were given a large number of quick, direct, closed questions in a short space of time
• the questions were not asked in an order that matched the witnesses mental state
• witnesses were not able to freely talk about their experience and were often interrupted

Question 3

what is the cognitive interview

Answer 3

a range of techniques that fisher and geisleman suggested police interviewers use in order to increase the accuracy of EWT

Question 4

what are the features of the cognitive interview

Answer 4

• context reinstatement
• report everything
• recall from a changed perspective
• recall in reverse order

Question 5

what happens during context reinstatement

Answer 5

witness mentally returns to the scene of the crime including physical environment and emotional state - based on context and state dependent forgetting

Question 6

what happens during report everything

Answer 6

all details even if they seem irrelevant should be mentioned triggering memories

Question 7

what happens during recall from a changed perspective

Answer 7

mentally recreate how the crime would be recalled from another witnesses perspective in order to disrupt schema

Question 8

what happens during recall in reverse order

Answer 8

recall is recalled in reverse chronological order to disrupt schema

Question 9

what was fisher, geisleman and amadors research on the cognitive interview

Answer 9

used a field study to compare 7 detectives trained in the cognitive interview with 9 detectives who use the standard interview

Question 10

what were the findings of fisher, geisleman and amadors research on the cognitive interview

Answer 10

the cognitive interview trained detectives received 47% more information in real interviews after their training and 63% more information than the untrained detectives

Question 11

what do fisher, geisleman and amadors findings suggest about the cognitive interview

Answer 11

that it is effective in enhancing memory, improving information gained by real interviewing police officers operating in the field

Question 12

what was kohnkens research on the cognitive interview

Answer 12

did a meta analysis of 42 studies including over 2500 interviews where he found a significant increase in the amount of correct information recalled. however there was also a significant increase in the amount of incorrect information recalled resulting in a very similar accuracy rate for cognitive ( 85% ) and standard ( 82% ) interviews

Question 13

what does kohnkens research sugget about the cognitive interview

Answer 13

the cognitive interview may be of limited practical use due to increased errors

Question 14

what are the strengths of improving the accuracy of EWT

Answer 14

• a cost benefit analysis shows that the effect on the justice system and economy from the cognitive interview is worth the additional resourced invested in training to make a more effective police force with the cognitive interview ultimately reducing crime and its cost to wider society
• is effective in older children and adults

Question 15

what are the weaknesses of improving the accuracy of EWT

Answer 15

• the cognitive interview can be time consuming, requiring more time than officers have available especially when conducting a time sensitive case
• cognitive interview is not effective in improving the recognition of suspects in identity parades and from photographs meaning it has limited usefulness
• cognitive interview is not effective in young children as they are egocentric however holliday was able to create a modified cognitive interview adapted to childrens developmental level