Memory: Improving Eyewitness Testimonies

Question 1

What did Fisher and Geiselmann argue?

Answer 1

accuracy of EWTs could be improved through interviewing techniques

Question 2

What did Fisher and Geiselmamn develop?

Answer 2

the cognitive interview

Question 3

What is the cognitive interview a method of?

Answer 3

interviewing eyewitnesses to help accuracy of retrieval through psychological insights into how memory works. comprised of four key techniques: Report Everything, Reinstate Context, Reverse Order and Change Perspective.

Question 4

What happens in the technique: Report Everything

Answer 4

witnesses encouraged to include every single detail of an event regardless of whether it seems irrelevant

Question 5

Why is Report Everything necessary?

Answer 5

trivial data may be important, moreover, they may trigger other important details

Question 6

What is involved in the technique: Reinstate the Context

Answer 6

witness asked to visualise or physically return to crime scene and picture details of their environment

Question 7

What is Reinstate the Context relevant to?

Answer 7

context dependent forgetting and encoding specificity principle

Question 8

What is involved in the technique: Reverse the Order?

Answer 8

events recalled in different CHRONOLOGICAL order

Question 9

Why is Reverse the Order effective?

Answer 9

prevents people reporting schemas and expectations of event. checks for inconsistencies and dishonest.

Question 10

What is involved in the technique: Change Perspective?

Answer 10

recall incident from perspective of others involved, view of perpetrator and other witnesses

Question 11

Why is Change Perspective important?

Answer 11

disrupts effect of schemas and expectations on recall

Question 12

Outline Geiselmann and Fishers method

Answer 12

-89 students watched simulation of crime -interviews two days later with standard police and cognitive interview

Question 13

What were the results from Geiselmann and Fishers study?

Answer 13

average number of correct items: 41.5 CI and 29.3 SI
average number of incorrect items: 7.3 CI and 6.1 SI

Question 14

What did Geiselmann and Fisher conclude?

Answer 14

effective in improving quantity of correct information called and has minimal effect on number of incorrect information recalled

Question 15

What did Fisher et al further develop based on the Cognitive Interview?

Answer 15

Enhanced Cognitive Interview

Question 16

What does the Enhanced Cognitive Interview revolve around?

Answer 16

focusing on social dynamics of situation

Question 17

What are some key elements to Enhanced Cognitive Interview?

Answer 17

-understanding when to establish and relinquish eye contact -minimising distractions -reducing anxiety -open ended questions -witness talk slowly and calmly

Question 18

How is Konkhen et als meta-analysis a strength to CI?

Answer 18

-combined data of 55 studies comparing standard interview and cognitive interview
-41% increase in accuracy of CI than SI -shows effectiveness of CI -high validity

Question 19

What did Milne and Bull suggest that is a limitation to CI?

Answer 19

-combining report everything and reinstate context produced accurate recall than
techniques alone -casts doubt on credibility -questions necessity of method

Question 20

What is a limitation to CI in terms of its uses?

Answer 20

-time consuming -requires training which is expensive -rapport needs to be established
-lack of resources -unrealistic expectation due to inefficiency -not practically available to all