Week Four - Recall Memory & Effective Interviewing Techniques Flashcards

1
Q

Consideration for E/W recall memory?

A

Defining accuracy (eg quantity vs accuracy)

Accuracy across items (global vs item accuracy) - one error does not equal unreliable witness

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2
Q

Two control processes?

A
Report Option
- volunteering vs withholding
Grain Size
- detailed vs vague
informativeness vs accuracy tradeoff
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3
Q

What determines what witnesses report? (report option and grain size influenced by)

A

Report option and grain size influenced by:

  1. confidence (guided by heuristics)
  2. constraints imposed at test by interviewer
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4
Q

Interview variables associated with accuracy?

A
  • interview format (closed vs. open)
  • number of interviews
  • delay to first interview & intervals between interviews
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5
Q

Interview format (closed vs. open)

A

closed Q’s increase reporting and decrease accuracy (suggestiveness, promoting guessing)

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6
Q

Number of interviews

A

report option and grain size can vary across interviews

freezing, retrieval induced forgetting

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7
Q

Delay to first interview & intervals between interviews

A

early interview crucial for activating and maintaining trace strength

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8
Q

Effects of emotional arousal? (real life)

A

– unpleasant events recalled quite well

– holocaust survivors, ‘flashbulb’ memories

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9
Q

Effects of emotional arousal? (lab)

A

– unpleasant events recalled poorly
– interactions are likely
however, lack ecological validity

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10
Q

Testimonial Consistency

A

Eyewitnesses are usually interviewed on a number of occasions
Over multiple interviews, testimonial inconsistencies are likely
Leads to
– contradictions
– reminiscence

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11
Q

most of us are unlikely to be convinced by witnesses who?

A

– contradict themselves
– forget information reported at earlier interviews
– report new information at later interviews

surveys of police, lawyers, judges and jurors indicate
inconsistency is viewed as hallmark of inaccuracy

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12
Q

Characteristics of testimony (perceived to be) associated with accuracy

A

contradictions

reminiscence

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13
Q

% who provide contradictions?

A

97% Brewer

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14
Q

Facts about contradictions?

A
  • contradictions predict accuracy at item level
    BUT
  • contradictions only very weakly related to global
    accuracy
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15
Q

Reminiscence facts

A

Seems to violate basic principles of memory
– memory weakens over time
– recall less as time passes

Not indicative to global accuracy

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16
Q

% who provide contradictions?

A

98% (Gilbert & Fisher)

17
Q

Recall accuracy will be determined by?

A
  1. effectiveness of E/Ws monitoring & control processes

2. interviewing variables (format, delay, etc.)

18
Q

Why was the CI developed?

A

– as standard procedure for effective interviewing
– based on psychological principles of memory &
effective communication

19
Q

CI was designed to?

A

– assist retrieval

– optimise reporting of information by witnesses

20
Q

CI is based on?

A

Based on understanding of memory functioning & social

dynamics

21
Q

Principles of the CI? (memory & cognition)

A
PRINCIPLES OF MEMORY AND COGNITION
Aiding Retrieval
– (Mental) Reinstatement of context
– Multiple & varied retrieval attempts
  • Activate & strengthen multiple retrieval paths to stored info (e.g., reverse chronological order)
– Limited mental resources
  • Reduce distractions (e.g., eye-closure)
  • Avoid interruptions
22
Q

Principles of the CI? (social dynamics & communication)

A

PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL DYNAMICS & COMMUNICATION
Optimising Reporting
– Active witness participation (Witnesses often wait to be prompted)
– Crime relevant information
• Guide witness to relevant topics
• Strategic use of closed questions/prompts
– Promote detailed responses
• Encourage witnesses to not edit responses
• Provide as much detail as possible

23
Q

5 stages of the CI?

A
  • Introduction / rapport building
  • Open ended narrative
  • Probing
  • Review
  • Closing
24
Q

CI vs standard police interview?

A

Enhanced CI elicits more correct information than standard interview
– Approx. 50 - 60%

Enhanced CI leads to interviewer retaining more information than standard interview
– Approx. 40 %

Advantage holds for person, place, and event descriptions

25
CI pre-training vs post-training?
50% more information
26
Training in CI vs. no training?
60% more information
27
CI training accuracy/corroboration?
Accuracy / corroboration: Approx. 95%
28
CI training in general?
– Decreased number of Q’s asked – Decreased number of leading Q’s – Increased proportion of open ended questions – Increased number of pauses
29
Summary of basic CI findings?
- CI changes style of interview - CI elicits more correct information - No decrease in accuracy
30
Limitations to CI?
* Uncooperative witnesses * Only useful early on (before EWs rehearse report) * Time consuming & hard work!
31
Self-administered Interview?
Was developed due to the time length and work of the CI Booklet E/Ws work through at own pace - Based on principles of enhanced CI (context reinstatement, varied retrieval etc.) The can run CI with those most important
32
Empirical Evaluation – SAI
Expt 1 Recall at initial interview: - SAI elicits more info w/ no cost to accuracy of recalled info, compared to FR task Expt 2 Recall after 1 week delay: - Ps who complete SAI straight after event recall more info w/ higher accuracy than Ps who do not, on later FR task
33
'Timeline' Techniques
Common ‘sense-making’ tool in investigations Common in autobiographical memory research For autobiographical information, timeline formats enhance recall accuracy
34
Creating a Timeline Tool
``` Key Components – Physical Timeline – Report Cards • Action Cards • Person Description Cards ```
35
Instructions in a Timeline Tool?
– Person Descriptions Cards: details about the people involved in the event. – Action Cards: actions / sequence information. – Link actions or sequence information to individuals involved. – Start anywhere and re-arrange cards as necessary. – Use as many cards as necessary
36
Sequencing errors and Timeline technique?
Significant drop in sequencing errors with timeline technique
37
Empirical Evaluation – Timeline
More correct information reported in the (interactive) Timeline and Record Card conditions – Enhanced person description – At no cost to accuracy More perpetrator-specific actions correctly reported (for all 5 perpetrators) in the Timeline condition – At no cost to accuracy
38
Summary of the 3 interviewing techniques?
CI increases correct info without sig increasing incorrect information SAI may be a useful tool for initial interview to a) enhance initial recall b) prevent forgetting, decay etc. Timeline techniques can provide useful sequencing info, and info about multiple perp crimes