Improving the Accuracy of EWT

Question 1

What is the cognitive interview?

Answer 1

The cognitive interview is a police technique used to improve the accuracy of eyewitness testimony. It consists of four main techniques: report everything, context reinstatement, recall from a changed perspective, and recall in reverse order.

Question 2

What does the ‘report everything’ technique involve?

Answer 2

The ‘report everything’ technique encourages recall of all details, even seemingly irrelevant ones.

Question 3

What is context reinstatement in the cognitive interview?

Answer 3

Context reinstatement involves mentally placing oneself back at the scene to trigger contextual cues.

Question 4

What does ‘recall from a changed perspective’ mean?

Answer 4

This technique asks witnesses to describe the event from another person’s viewpoint, reducing bias.

Question 5

What is the purpose of ‘recall in reverse order’?

Answer 5

This technique asks for events to be recalled backwards, which can help verify truthfulness and disrupt expectations.

Question 6

What is one strength of the cognitive interview?

Answer 6

A strength of the cognitive interview is its effectiveness with older witnesses, encouraging them to share more details and improving the quality of information provided.

Question 7

What is one limitation of the cognitive interview?

Answer 7

A limitation is that it can lead to an increase in incorrect information, making it difficult for police to distinguish between accurate and inaccurate parts of a testimony.

Question 8

How does the cognitive interview affect young children?

Answer 8

The cognitive interview may not be effective for young children, especially those under six, as their recall accuracy decreases when using the CI compared to standard interviews.

Question 9

What is a practical limitation of the cognitive interview?

Answer 9

A practical limitation is that it requires significant time and training for police officers, and improper application may reduce its benefits.