The Cognitive Interview

Question 1

Who introduced the cognitive interview and why?

Answer 1

Fisher and Giselman. Developed for-

1. Improving the effective of police interviews when questioning witnesses
2. Apply the result of psychological research

Question 2

What are the 4 distinct components of the cognitive interview?

Answer 2

1. Mental reinstatement of original context
2. Report everything
3. Change order
4. Change perspective

Question 3

What is mental reinstatement of original context?

Answer 3

The interviewer encourages the interviewee to mentally recreate the physical and psychological environment of the original incident.
The aim is to make the memories accessible; people need appropriate contextual and emotional cues to help them retrieve memories

Question 4

What is reporting everything?

Answer 4

The interviewer encourages the reporting of every single detail of the event, even if it seems irrelevant. Recollection of small details may act as a cue for other memories. The recollection of small details may be pieced together from many different witnesses to form a clearer, larger picture of the event

Question 5

what is a strength of the CI? (research)

Answer 5

a meta analysis found a 34% increase in the amount of correct information generated in the CI, compared to a SI. However, effectiveness may be due to individual components rather than the whole thing. Milne + Bull interviewed students/children using 1 component of the CI, and compared the results to a control condition (instructed to “try again”). the results were similar across all conditions. however when p’s were interviewed using a combo of CI components, their recall was significantly higher than any other condition

Question 6

what is a limitation of the CI? (not accurate)

Answer 6

the aim of the CI is to increase the quantity of accurate information without affecting the quality of it. However, effectiveness has only been found in terms of quality. Kohnken found an 81% increase of accurate information but a 61% increase in the amount of inaccurate information.

Question 7

what is a limitation of the CI? (probs with practise)

Answer 7

police officers suggest that the CI requires more time than is available and instead they prefer to use a technique that minimises an eyewitness report to only necessary information. in addition, CI requires special training that many forces dont have access to.

Question 8

why does the CI encourage the witness to change order and change perspective?

Answer 8

to disrupt the effect schemas have on recall