Cognitive Interview

Question 1

Aims of the cognitive interview

Answer 1

• Improve the effectiveness of interviewers when questioning witnesses
• Apply the results of psychological research which showed that memory is not like a video camera, but an active process

Question 2

What are the 4 main techniques used in the cognitive interview

Answer 2

• Report everything: Witnesses might not realise that some details are important and details might help them recall significant information
• Reinstate the context: Recalling how you felt and the context enhance recall (these details act as cues to recall)
• Recall from changed perspective: Encourage many retrieval paths
• Recall in reverse orders: When events are recalled in forwards order, witnesses tend to base their structure based on their schemas. If the order is changed, they are more accurate

Question 3

Research support- Geiselman et al (1988)

Answer 3

• Trainee police officers were shown a police training video of crimes. Two days later, they were interviewed by an experienced investigator, either by the standard method or cognitive interview
• Significantly more information was retrieved with the cognitive interview, without as much mistakes compared to the regular method
• This suggests the cognitive interview is a better type of interview to use as it yields more information as well as the recall being more accurate

Question 4

Research support- fisher et al (1989)

Answer 4

• The researchers trained Florida police in the use of the cognitive interview, and compared their interview performance before and after training
• After training, the detective gained as much as 47% more useful information

Question 5

Research against- khonken et al (1999)

Answer 5

• He carried out a meta-analysis of 53 studies
• While they found an increase of 81% of correct information, they also found there to be a 61% increase of incorrect information when compared to a standard interview
• The techniques of CI aim to increase the amount of correct information recalled, but the recall of incorrect information may also be increased

Question 6

Evaluation of CI

Answer 6

• Time consuming
• Specialist training required
• Inaccurate information can also be gathered
• Not all techniques are suitable for children e.g changed perspective