Improving EWT: The Cognitive Interview

Question 1

Who developed the cognitive interview

Answer 1

Geilsman et al

Question 2

What does the cognitive interview do?

Answer 2

Improves EWT by enhancing memory retrieval

Question 3

Name the four techniques in the CI

Answer 3

-Change narrative order
-Change perspective
-Mental reinstatement of context
-Report everything

Question 4

Change narrative order

Answer 4

Recall events in different chronological order e.g. end to beginning

Question 5

Change perspective

Answer 5

Witness asked to recall incident from different peoples perspective

Question 6

Mental reinstatement of context

Answer 6

Witness encouraged to mentally recreate physical and psychological environment of original environment.
Aim to provide contextual and emotional cues to retrieve memories

Question 7

Report everything

Answer 7

Witness encouraged to report every single detail of the event, even if it has little relevance.
Memories interconnected so recollection of one item may then cue other memories

Question 8

Who created the enhanced cognitive interview

Answer 8

Fisher and Geislman

Question 9

Enhanced cognitive interview

Answer 9

-Builds relationship between witness and interviewer
-Start: ask neutral open-ended questions to control flow of information.
-W reminded not to guess and use ‘dk’ option
-I not ask unnecessary questions

Question 10

Strength- more accurate than standard police interviews

Answer 10

E-Kohnken et al: assessed if CI helped witness recall be more accurate than SPI, found on average, CI led to 41% increase in correct information.
E- can provide accurate recall regarding EWT
L- valid, helps achieve justice
CA- 25% increase in incorrec details, suggest need to be careful evaluations of witness statements obtained through this method to allow accurate EWT.

Question 11

Limitation- CI not improve accurate recall for all individuals

Answer 11

E-Horselenberg- context reinstatement not accessible to children because brains are not fully developed.
E- Suggests CI not applicable to all so therefore not a generalisable method for EWT.
L: Therefore suggests not reliable method to improve EWT bc cannot be used on all Is.
CA: found sig improvement on EW recall (up to 40%)

Question 12

Strength- ECI gives more accurate recall

Answer 12

E- Memon et al: found that bc ECI emphasises building a rapport between the interviewer ad the witness, it facilitates more detailed and valid recall.
E- suggests ECI gives more credible recall to help police in a criminal investigation etc.
L- therefore suggests compared to SPI, ECI a better alternative that provides help in real world to help provide accurate statements
CA- time consuming bc can take up to 1 week to teach, therefore not commonly used technique so ECI lacks representativeness regarding reducing wrong EWT