The Cognitive Interview Flashcards
What is the cognitive interview?
A technique devised by Geiselman et al. (1984) to improve the accuracy of eyewitness testimony.
What problem does the cognitive interview address?
It overcomes issues arising from the standard interview process.
What does ‘mental reinstatement of original context’ involve?
Recalling internal and external cues present at the time of the crime.
How might a witness be prompted during mental reinstatement?
By closing their eyes and mentally traveling back to the scene of the crime.
What is the purpose of the ‘report everything’ technique?
Witnesses are encouraged to report every detail, even if it seems irrelevant or trivial.
Why is it important for witnesses to report minor details?
Minor details can act as cues for recalling more important information.
What does the ‘change perspective’ technique entail?
Witnesses recall the scene from a different perspective, such as another witness or the perpetrator.
Why is changing perspective beneficial in eyewitness testimony?
It encourages multiple retrieval pathways, reducing reliance on existing schemata.
What is the ‘reverse order’ technique in cognitive interviews?
Witnesses are asked to recall events in a different chronological order.
What is the rationale behind recalling events in reverse order?
It helps counteract the recency effect and reduces the likelihood of incorrectly filling in information.
True or False: The cognitive interview discourages witnesses from elaborating on their memories.
False
What is a standard police interview characterized by?
Specific questions and predetermined questions
The interviewer typically controls the conversation, asking most of the questions.
In a standard police interview, what is discouraged for the interviewee?
Adding too much additional information
This can lead to confusion or misinterpretation of the interviewee’s statements.
What type of questions may be used in a standard police interview?
Leading or suggestive questions
These types of questions may influence the responses of the interviewee.
True or False: The interviewer in a standard police interview typically allows the interviewee to speak freely.
False
The interviewer does most of the talking and controls the flow of information.
Fill in the blank: In a standard police interview, the _______ does most of the questioning.
[interviewer]
What is a strength of the cognitive interview?
It has research support.
In Geiselman’s (1985) study, what were the average number of correctly recalled facts for the cognitive interview?
41.2
What were the average number of correctly recalled facts for hypnosis and the standard interview in Geiselman’s study?
Hypnosis: 38.0, Standard interview: 29.4
What did Geiselman’s study conclude about the cognitive interview?
It leads to better memory for events.
According to Kebbell and Wagstaff (1999), why is the cognitive interview not useful in real life?
Many police officers do not have the time to use it for less serious crimes.
What is a limitation of the cognitive interview mentioned in the text?
It requires special training.
What did Wright and Holliday (2007) find regarding older witnesses and the cognitive interview?
Older participants recalled significantly greater detail using the cognitive interview.
What issue arises from the cognitive interview being a collection of related techniques?
Not all police forces use the same techniques.
Fill in the blank: The cognitive interview is particularly useful when interviewing _______.
older witnesses
True or False: The cognitive interview is a single technique.
False
What is a potential bias that the cognitive interview aims to address?
Age bias on recall.
