Standard and Cognitive Interviews Flashcards

1
Q

What are some features of a standard police interview?

A

Revolves around interviewer and not witness, interviewer does most talking including specific, forced choice questions, witnesses can’t add much detail, interviewers may unconsciously use leading questions, increasing innaccurate information.

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2
Q

Cognitive Interview

A

A police technqiue for interviewing witnesses to a crime, which encourages them to recreate the original context in order to increase the accessibility of stored information.

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3
Q

Who developed the cognitive interview?

A

Fisher and Geiselman (1992).

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4
Q

What are the four key aspects of a cognitive interview?

A

Report everything, consistent reinstatement, reversing the order, and changing the perspective.

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5
Q

Report Everything

A

Eyewitnesses are encouraged to report every detail, no matter how small.

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6
Q

Why are witnesses encouraged to report everything?

A

Some details may trigger other memories that contain crucial evidence.

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7
Q

Context Reinstatement

A

Eyewitnesses are asked to place themselves at the scene of the crime and are asked questions about the environment.

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8
Q

Why is context reinstatement used?

A

This is to prevent context-dependent forgetting from taking place.

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9
Q

Reversing the Order

A

The eyewitnesses are asked to recall the event in various orders to normal.

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10
Q

Why is reversing the order used?

A

This helps to avoid personal expectations of how the event happened being reported. It is also harder to be dishonest when events are reversed.

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11
Q

Change Perspective

A

Eyewitnesses are asked to recall events from another person’s perspective.

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12
Q

Why is changing perspective used?

A

Avoids the effects of personal expectations and schemas disrupting memories.

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13
Q

Enhanced Cognitive Interview - Fisher et al. (1987)

A

Focused on social aspects of an interview, such as minimal external distractions, getting the witness to speak slowly, varied eye contact, and open-ended questions.

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14
Q

Fisher et al. (1989) - Aim

A

To study and test the cognitive interview technique in the field.

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15
Q

Fisher et al. (1989) - Procedure

A

From 16 detectives from Florida, all with 5+ years of experience, seven were trained with the cognitive interview, the other nine using standard interviews. Interviews were recorded and analysed by a team in California, who did not know which were cognitive or not.

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16
Q

Fisher et al. (1989) - Findings

A

Found that those trained in cognitive interview gathered 63% more information than standard.

17
Q

Fisher et al. (1989) - Conclusion

A

Shows that the cognitive interview is effective, and could be used to help solve more crimes.

18
Q

Fisher et al. (1989) - Strengths

A
  • Use of a field experiment means for good ecological validity.
  • The analysists were not told which interviews were cognitive, preventing any biases from taking place.
  • The study is replicable, and therefore, reliable.
19
Q

Fisher et al. (1989) - Limitations

A
  • Low population validity - all interviewers were from Florida, and only 16 were studied. Findings are therefore, hard to generalise.
  • The questions asked in the interviews were not standardised, meaning the study lacks reliability.
  • Validity may be lacking in that each witness was asked different questions. Other factors within the quesrions may be affecting the results found.
  • Field experiment means for a lack of control of extraneous variables, lowering validity.
20
Q

Kohnken et al. (1999) - Summary

A

Used a meta-analysis and found that witnesses recalled more incorrect information with the cognitive interview, possibly as more detailed recall increases chances of making mistakes.

21
Q

Cognitive Interviews - Strengths

A
  • Supporting evidence from Fisher et al. (1989).
  • More structured than standard interviews.
  • Usefulness - well-suited for thoroughness in crime-related interviews, gathering enough detail for testimony.
  • As the cognitive interview gathers much more information, this is also likely to gather more correct, important information.
  • Reduces number of miscarriages of justice.
22
Q

Cognitive Interviews - Limitations

A
  • Contradictory evidence from Kohnken et al. (1999) - found that more incorrect information is recalled.
  • Cognitve interviews are much more time-consuming.
  • Different police forces will use the cognitive techniques differently, making it difficult to evaluate its effectiveness accurately.
  • Shorter, precise eyewitness accounts are preferred, and easier to analyse.
  • Demands are placed on the interviewer to probe effectively.
  • Being trained in cognitive interview techniques is further time-consuming, and the quantity and quality of training is limited.