6.1.3 - Cognitive Interviews

Question 1

What is cognitive interviewing?

Answer 1

• Assists police in interviewing witnesses
• Designed to gain as much information from eye witnesses as possible
• Acknowledges memory is reconstructive
• Increases the amount of information gained and stays accurate

Question 2

Aim is to improve accuracy by?

Answer 2

• Improving social dynamics between the interviewer and eye-witness
• Use state or context cues
• Remove anxiety
• Leave gaps between questions in case there’s anything they want to add

Question 3

How CI works

Answer 3

Designated order, 2 interviewers to make sure everything is noted down. Usually starts with open ended questions and progresses to more specific follow up questions.

• Intro
• Controlling the interview
• Open ended narration
• Probing for details
• Review important question
• Close interview, evaluate

Question 4

Feature 1

Answer 4

Context reinstatement.

Mentally recreate context internally (think about how they were feeling) and externally (think of what was happening in the scenario).
(Cues will help recall)

Question 5

Feature 2

Answer 5

Report everything.

Recall everything possible about the event, including trivial and fragmental details.
(Demand characteristics and response bias)

Question 6

Feature 3

Answer 6

Change the perspective.

Recall from different perspectives such as the offenders.
(Distortion and schema).

Question 7

Feature 4

Answer 7

Change the order.

Witness recalls event in reverse or most memorable point. Stops schemas from confabulation and rationalising.
(Recency effect)

Question 8

Milne and Bull

Answer 8

Supporting

Report everything and context reinstatement are the key details in getting accurate and detailed recall.

Question 9

Fisher et al

Answer 9

Supporting

After training, detectives managed to elicit 47% more information than before and 63% more than untrained detectives.

Question 10

Objective scoring

Answer 10

Strength

No bias, can be compared.

Question 11

Lab research

Answer 11

Weakness

Low eco validity, low mundane realism

Question 12

Geisleman

Answer 12

Opposing

Can’t be used in children under 8.