Week Four - Recall Memory & Effective Interviewing Techniques

Question 1

Consideration for E/W recall memory?

Answer 1

Defining accuracy (eg quantity vs accuracy)

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

Question 2

Two control processes?

Answer 2

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

Question 3

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

Answer 3

Report option and grain size influenced by:

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

Question 4

Interview variables associated with accuracy?

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Interview format (closed vs. open)

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Number of interviews

Answer 6

report option and grain size can vary across interviews

freezing, retrieval induced forgetting

Question 7

Delay to first interview & intervals between interviews

Answer 7

early interview crucial for activating and maintaining trace strength

Question 8

Effects of emotional arousal? (real life)

Answer 8

– unpleasant events recalled quite well

– holocaust survivors, ‘flashbulb’ memories

Question 9

Effects of emotional arousal? (lab)

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Testimonial Consistency

Answer 10

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

Question 11

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

Answer 11

– 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

Question 12

Characteristics of testimony (perceived to be) associated with accuracy

Answer 12

contradictions

reminiscence

Question 13

% who provide contradictions?

Answer 13

97% Brewer

Question 14

Facts about contradictions?

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Reminiscence facts

Answer 15

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

Not indicative to global accuracy

Question 16

% who provide contradictions?

Answer 16

98% (Gilbert & Fisher)

Question 17

Recall accuracy will be determined by?

Answer 17

1. effectiveness of E/Ws monitoring & control processes

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

Question 18

Why was the CI developed?

Answer 18

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

Question 19

CI was designed to?

Answer 19

– assist retrieval

– optimise reporting of information by witnesses

Question 20

CI is based on?

Answer 20

Based on understanding of memory functioning & social

dynamics

Question 21

Principles of the CI? (memory & cognition)

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Principles of the CI? (social dynamics & communication)

Answer 22

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

Question 23

5 stages of the CI?

Answer 23

• Introduction / rapport building
• Open ended narrative
• Probing
• Review
• Closing

Question 24

CI vs standard police interview?

Answer 24

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

Question 25

CI pre-training vs post-training?

Answer 25

50% more information

Question 26

Training in CI vs. no training?

Answer 26

60% more information

Question 27

CI training accuracy/corroboration?

Answer 27

Accuracy / corroboration: Approx. 95%

Question 28

CI training in general?

Answer 28

– Decreased number of Q’s asked
– Decreased number of leading Q’s
– Increased proportion of open ended questions
– Increased number of pauses

Question 29

Summary of basic CI findings?

Answer 29

• CI changes style of interview
• CI elicits more correct information
• No decrease in accuracy

Question 30

Limitations to CI?

Answer 30

• Uncooperative witnesses
• Only useful early on (before EWs rehearse report)
• Time consuming & hard work!

Question 31

Self-administered Interview?

Answer 31

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

Question 32

Empirical Evaluation – SAI

Answer 32

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

Question 33

‘Timeline’ Techniques

Answer 33

Common ‘sense-making’ tool in investigations

Common in autobiographical memory research

For autobiographical information, timeline formats
enhance recall accuracy

Question 34

Creating a Timeline Tool

Answer 34

Key Components
– Physical Timeline
– Report Cards
 • Action Cards
 • Person Description Cards

Question 35

Instructions in a Timeline Tool?

Answer 35

– 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

Question 36

Sequencing errors and Timeline technique?

Answer 36

Significant drop in sequencing errors with timeline technique

Question 37

Empirical Evaluation – Timeline

Answer 37

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

Question 38

Summary of the 3 interviewing techniques?

Answer 38

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