IMPROVING THE ACCURACY OF EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY, THE COGNITIVE INTERVIEW

THE COGNITIVE INTERVIEW

• The cognitive interview is a method of interviewing eyewitnesses, which is thought to be particularly effective in increasing the rates of accurate recall, by considering the theories discussed previously.

How many stages are there in the cognitive interview

4

What are the main stages

• There are 4 main stages:

• 1. Report everything

• 2. Reinstate the context

• 3. Change the perspective

• 4. Reverse the order

What is stage 1

Report everything

What is stage 2

Reinstate the context

What is the 3rd stage

Change the perspective

What is the fourth stage

Reverse the order

REPORT EVERYTHING

• Even seemingly insignificant details may be important or trigger the recall of larger events, by acting as a 'cue' (think back to retrieval failure!).

• E.g. “can you tell me every single thing that you remember from the entire occassion

RESEARCH TO SUPPORT - GEISELMAN et al 1985

• students shown vids of violent crimes

• 48hrs later they were interviewed by police

• Half were interviewed using standard police interviews

• Other half were interviewed using cognitive interview

• The cognitive interview had the highest number of correct details (41.5) compared to the standard interview (29.4)

• However cognitive interview had most amount of incorrect details compared to the standard interview which had least amount of incorrect details

REINSTATE THE CONTEXT

• Recalling the weather, location and mood of the day prevents context-dependent forgetting by reminding the eyewitness of their external cues at the time.

• E.g. “what was the weather like?”

CHANGE THE PERSPECTIVE

• Recalling events from the perspective of the victim or persecutor prevents the eyewitness' account from being affected by their own schemas or pre-conceived perceptions of how the crime, in their opinion, happened.

What is an example of change the perspective

• E.g. “in the eyes of any other people that were there, can you explain everything that happened?” OR “in the eyes of the persecutor, can you explain everything that happened”

REVERSE THE ORDER

• Recalling events in a different order, other than chronological, reduces the ability of the eyewitness to lie (as it is simply difficult) and also reduces the impact of schemas on their perception of events.

What is an example of reverse the order

• E.g. “could you explain the entire event backwards”

FISHER ET AL (1987)

• The enhanced cognitive interview was developed by Fisher et al (1987) and focuses on the social dynamics of the interactions between the eyewitness and the interviewer e.g. knowing when to make eyecontact and when to diminish it (increases the likelihood that the eyewitness will be calm and comfortable) as well as increasing rapport with the eyewitness (increases the likelihood that they will answer truthfully about personal or sensitive topics).

STRENGTH - improves accuracy of recall

The Cognitive Interview is designed to improve the accuracy of witness recall by using techniques such as context reinstatement, reporting everything, changing the narrative order, and altering perspectives. Research has shown that these techniques can increase the amount of information recalled, with minimal risk of producing false memories.

STRENGTH - generalisable and applicable across different populations

The Cognitive Interview is flexible and can be applied to a range of individuals, including those with different cognitive abilities, children, and even older adults. This makes it a useful tool for law enforcement in various real-world contexts.

STRENGTH - supported by research - Geiselman and Fisher

Geiselman et al. (1985) and Fisher et al. (1989), demonstrated that the Cognitive Interview is more effective than traditional methods. Studies have shown that witnesses using it remember more accurate details and provide more comprehensive accounts of events. Increases validity

STRENGTH - increases amount of information

Studies have shown that the CI leads to more information being recalled compared to traditional interview techniques. This is because the CI encourages witnesses to provide as much detail as possible, without prematurely filtering out information they might consider irrelevant.

WEAKNESS - requires skilled interviewer

The success of the Cognitive Interview depends significantly on the skill of the interviewer. If the interviewer fails to apply the techniques effectively or makes mistakes in how they question the witness, the interview may yield less reliable or less accurate results. This is particularly important in real-life settings, where the pressure of an investigation might affect the quality of the interview.

While the Cognitive Interview has shown to be effective in enhancing the recall of eyewitness testimony, these weaknesses highlight the challenges involved in its practical application. It’s important for researchers and law enforcement to be aware of these limitations to ensure the method is used appropriately and effectively.

WEAKNESS - lack of standardisation

The Cognitive Interview is not a standardized procedure. Different police forces and interviewers may use the techniques in slightly different ways. This lack of consistency can reduce the reliability of the method across different settings, and may impact the quality of the results.

WEAKNESS - increased cognitive load

The Cognitive Interview places a significant cognitive load on the witness, particularly when techniques like changing the order of events or recalling details from different perspectives are used. This can be challenging for some witnesses, especially those with cognitive impairments, children, or those who are highly stressed. If the interviewee is overwhelmed, this could negatively impact the quality of the recall.

WEAKNESS - time consuming

Time-Consuming

It involves several steps, such as context reinstatement, changing the narrative order, and asking the witness to recall every detail, which can take much longer. In situations where time is limited (e.g., during an ongoing investigation), this can be a disadvantage.

WEAKNESS - requires extensive training

For the Cognitive Interview to be effective, interviewers need specific training in the techniques and how to apply them properly. This can be costly and time-intensive for police forces, and if not carried out correctly, the CI may be less effective or even lead to false memories. Inconsistent use of CI due to a lack of proper training can reduce its reliability.