Cognitive interview (booklet 5) Flashcards
(15 cards)
Describe problems found by Fisher et al with standard interview technique
Witnesses were bombarded with questions, asked closed questions, asked questions out of sync, were interrupted and weren’t allowed to talk freely about their experiences
What is the purpose of the cognitive interview?
To improve detail and accuracy of witness recall
Name the 4 components of a cognitive interview
Report everything
Context
Order
Perspective
Cognitive interview- report everything
Recall the maximum amount of information about the event, even if it appears unimportant
Why is it important to report everything in a cognitive interview?
Seemingly unimportant details may trigger the recall of other important details
Cognitive interview- reinstate the context
Try to mentally return to both the environmental and emotional context of the scene
Why is it important to reinstate context in a cognitive interview?
Related to context dependent forgetting- cues may trigger memories
Cognitive interview - reverse the order
Recall the events in a different chronological order
Why is it important to reverse the order in a cognitive interview?
Prevents witnesses reporting their expectations and also prevents dishonesty
Cognitive interview- change perspective
Recount the scene from the point of view of another person involved
Why is it important to change perspective in a cognitive interview?
Prevents witnesses reporting their expectations and the effect of schema on recall
Describe the ECI
Enhanced cognitive interview
Developed by Fisher et al (1987)
Includes additional elements to the CI
Focussed on social dynamics of the interaction- aims to build a trusting relationship between interviewer and witness
Includes when to establish eye contact, minimising distractions, and open questions
Can improve quality of communication by reducing witness anxiety, enhancing recall
Evaluate the use of the cognitive interview- support for effectiveness
A strength is that it works
Meta analysis by Köhnken et al (1999) on 55 studies comparing CI to standard police interview
CI gave average 41% increase on accurate info recalled
Shows is an effective technique to recall info stored in memory but not immediately accessible
Evaluate the use of the cognitive interview- overall credibility/ effectiveness
Not all elements equally effective
Milne and Bull (2002) found each of the 4 techniques individually produced more information than standard police interview
However report everything and reinstate context found better recall than other elements
Some aspects of CI are more useful than others, casting some doubt on overall credibility of CI
Evaluate use of cognitive interview- time consuming
Police officers may be reluctant to use CI as it takes more time and training than standard police interview
More time needed to establish rapport with witness and allow them to relax
Requires special training which may not be available
Not realistic- may be better to focus on a few key elements
