Crime topic 3

Question 1

What are the 9 steps of the Reid interrogation procedure? Inbau and Reid 1962

Answer 1

1. Positive confrontation- the evidence clearly confirms they are guilty.
2. Theme development- Presents themes to show why they are guilty, themes can be changed to what they are responsive to.
3. Handling denials- never allow the suspect to deny guilt
4. Overcoming objections- Objections the suspect makes should be used to make the suspect acknowledge their guilt.
5. Procurement and retention of suspects attention- after objections suspect may become withdrawn and quiet, use personal space and eye contact to reengage attention.
6. Handling passing moods- if suspect is upset, acknowledge they are upset and that they have been caught doing a crime.
7. Presenting an alternative question- give suspect 2 choices of what happened- both guilty however one may be more understandable.
8. Get the suspect to confess orally and tell full details- interrogator ask qs to elicit detail and clarify points.
9. Conversion of oral confession into a written, audio or videotaped confession.

Question 2

How does the Reid technique work?

Answer 2

tries to increase anxiety in the suspect and motivate them to want to leave the interrogation room by confessing.

Question 3

Evaluation of the Reid technique?

Answer 3

• Ethnocentric- can not be used in UK due to forceful, cohesive nature
• Kassin and Kiechel (1996)- false confessions are obtained using pressuring conditions and a false witness under laboratory conditions.

Question 4

What are features of the standard interview?

Answer 4

Ask whatever questions they feel are relevant, interrupt, SAQ, inappropriate sequences of questioning

Question 5

Problems Fisher found with the Standard Interview?

Answer 5

numerous interruptions, over reliance on SAQ

Question 6

Who developed the cognitive interview?

Answer 6

Fisher and Gieselman

Question 7

What are the 4 stages of the CI?

Answer 7

1. Context reinstatement- encourage witnesses to reinstate the context
2. In-depth reporting- Ask witness with no interruptions to tell the story of what happened with as much detail as possible, even irrelevant factors.
3. Re-ordering the narrative- recall story from different points eg middle, end
4. Reporting from different perspectives- tell story from other perspectives

Question 8

What is the enhanced cognitive interview (ECI)?

Answer 8

Contains same 4 techniques as the CI but adds social aspects, allowing pauses being sensitive.

Question 9

What did Geiselmans study (1985) show?

Answer 9

Compared CI with SI
Lab exp, police training videos to to 89 undergrad students, 48hrs later interviewed by either SI trained or CI trained.
Recalled more items in CI 41.5 vs 29.5 SI

Question 10

What was the aim of Memom and Higman (1999)

Answer 10

A review article of the evidence for the CI technique

Question 11

What were the 4 key themes?

Answer 11

1.The effectiveness of the various components of the CI
2. The relationship between the CI and other interviewing methods such as the standard or structured interview
3. Different measures of memory performance and the effect it has on research findings.
4. Interviewer variables and the effect of training quality on interview performance.

Question 12

Results from ‘effectiveness of the various components of the cognitive interview’

Answer 12

Each component of CI should be studied separately
Memom et al (1996) found no sig difference in groups interviewed using different cognitive techniques.

Question 13

Results from the comparison of CI and other interviewing methods such as the SI and structured interview

Answer 13

CI is hard to compare with the SI
Reviewers implied CI is more effective due to; had some training in techniques, increased motivation from being trained, hard to control individual differences in SI.
SI should not be used as a comparison group, due to differences with individual differences or motivation of witnesses.

Question 14

Results from ‘different measures of memory performance and the effect it has on research findings’

Answer 14

Important to remember how memory is examined in each, most studies claim memory as a %/number of correct statements.

Question 15

Results from the interviewer variables and quality of training

Answer 15

Conducting a CI is more exhausting and demanding
Memom found many police officers showed resistance to training and many failed to follow instructions. Recommend min 2 days training.

Question 16

Main conclusions?

Answer 16

There are still problems which need to be addressed-
Understanding how the components of CI work
Establishing a suitable control group linked to the aim
Using suitable measures of memory
Training of officers taken into account

Question 17

Section A question?

Answer 17

1. Aim, RM, Procedure
2. There is no difference in the effectiveness across different components with the exception of context reinstatement. When time is limited investigators should at least use context reinstatement as the context dependency theory suggests learning matches the environment it was learnt in. Recall is then improved. Ps memory would be more reliable and accurate.
3. Individual differences in interviewers need to be considered such as potential motivation as well as who delivers the training. Experienced officers should be delivering the training- ideally highest rank.

Question 18

Section B evaluation?

Answer 18

Situational- type of interviewing eg Reid technique- false confession? BUT they are important interviewing a guilty person
Individual- Individual personality factors eg personal factors Memom section 4 BUT acknowledging these factors can help with interventions eg training
BOTH- cognitive interview
Nature- certain traits could impact information collected -useful
Nurture- Reid technique is taught- useful in training
BOTH- Memom and Higman found training is very important in cognitive interviews (nurture) but some people are predisposed to being better interviewers.
Reductionism- Reid- useful in confession
Reductionism- Research identifying CI eg Geiselman
Holism- CI is relatively holistic and uses multiple techniques BUT context reinstatement is the most effective so is it all needed?
Scientific criteria-
Cause and effect- Geiselman, isolate an IV BUT hard to isolate causes
Replicability-
Controls-
Socially sensitve-
stigma- Reid BUT in UK it is not allowed
Controversial- Reid- false confessions BUT Reid would argue no one is innocent would get past stage 3 with the evidence
Political consequences- Reid BUT Loftus and Palmer had positive political consequences

Question 19

Section C

Answer 19

Application 1-
PEACE MODEL
P- lan, create and record a written timeline
E- ngage, create a rapport
A-ccount, clarification, challenge, open qs
C-losure, finish appropriately, reinforce
E-valuate after
Not confrontational like Reids 9 steps which suggest it could produce valid results not down to false confessions

Question 20

What did Gudjonsson suggest? 2003

Answer 20

Acknowledged role of factors affecting the ability to confess, eg type of offence committed, attitude of offender towards confession and personality