the collection and use of evidence from witnesses Flashcards
how is an interrogation different to an interview?
because it is accusatory
how does an interrogation start?
the investigator starts by telling the suspect that there is no doubt as to their guilt. designed to increase arousal and anxiety.
what does the PACE require?
all evidence to be recorded in triplicate, to ensure it cannot be tampered with
what is inbau’s (1986) interrogation technique?
a nine-step process that is a direct confrontation, interrupts any denial, reinforces sincerity by staying close, and poses the alternative question- with both options being admissions of guilt
dangers of using interrogation
unethical; miss important details from the crime; induces false confession; leading questions alter memory; too much attention paid on one suspect; innocent until proven guilty
what four factors did gudjonnson (2003) suggest surround every confession?
the defendant; the arrest, mental/physical state; interrogation
false confessions and the defendant
false confessions are more likely from the very young, very old, low IQ, mentally ill
false confessions and the arrest
suddenly, violently, in the middle of the night/long periods of time are more likely to falsely confess
false confessions and mental/physical state
stressed, anxious, ill or intoxicated
false confessions and interrogation
coercive, biased/leading interview tactics can encourage vulnerable suspects to falsely confess
what can identify those likely to falsely confess?
scoring high on the gudjonnson suggestibility scale
example of false confessions
four of the birmingham six who confessed scored higher than those who protested their innocence
how does PACE (1984) prevent false confession?
- interviews must be recorded and saved in triplicate
- one sealed in front of suspect, police and solicits
- reading of rights must take place
- suspect has right to a solicitor
what is the cognitive interview?
based largely on loftus’ work on memory- designed to take account of well known cognitive functions and avoid leading the witness.
involves reinstating the context of the event and using a variety of retrieval methods.
what two principle assumptions does the cognitive interview rest on?
1) memory of an event is made up of an interconnected network
2) retrieval from memory will be more effective if the context surrounding the original events can be reinstated
what are the first basic of the cognitive interview?
1) report everything- free recall may enrich memory and increase accuracy
what is the second basic of the cognitive interview?
2) recall in different temporal orders- may offer cues to trigger recall and prevent schemas from distorting the memory
what is the third basic of the cognitive interview?
3) mental reinstatement of context- mentally take them back to the scene by asking about their senses and feelings at the time
what is the fourth basic of the cognitive interview?
4) recall from a variety of different perspectives- by describing events as others might have seen it avoids the possibility of reconstructing their own memory of the event
what is the enhanced cognitive interview?
a revision of the CI technique to include a framework, and recommends chatting about a neutral topic before the interview to help the witness relax- designed by fisher and geiselman
evaluation of the CI and ECI
- techniques are too time consuming to use fully in investigation- often not all stages are used
- when used properly, it offers an established, thorough and effective method with a scientific basis in empirical research
- there are a number of retrieval techniques that can be used separately when time is limited
what did memon and higham’s study look at?
all lab research over the last 25 years; 57 articles across 65 experiments. all obtained via online databases and had to be from a peer reviewed journal.
what did memon and higham review?
research into the cognitive interview and made suggestions and recommendations
what did memon and higham find?
the cognitive reinstatement aspect seems most effective- although it could be that using the cognitive interview as a while has a synergising effect
what good comparison did memon and higham recommend?
- the guided memory interview would be a good comparison to test the effectiveness of cognitive reinstatement
- the structured interview would allow comparison with the cognitive components of the CI
what did memon and higham conclude about research?
research has been too simplistic in what constitutes memory, and training needs to be effective and trainers must be credible and respected
how can interview techniques be applied in real life?
the UK police adapted ECI into the PEACE technique