cognitive interview + evaluation

what is a cognitive interview (CI)?

a method interview of interviewing eyewitnesses to help them retrieve more accurate memories

what are he four main techniques of CI?

• report everything

• reinstate the context

• reverse the order

• change perspective

report everything

witnesses are encouraged to include every single detail of the event, even if they seem irrelevant

reinstate the context

the witness should describe the environment and their emotions

reverse the order

events should be recalled in a different chronological order to the original sequence

• this is done to prevent people reporting their expectations of event, or to prevent dishonesty

change perspective

witnesses should recall the event from other people’s perspectives

• this is done to disrupt the effect of expectations and schema on recall

what psychologist developed the enhanced cognitive interview and how was is developed?

• Fisher

• developed additional elements of CI to focus on the social dynamics of the interactions

what psychologist conducted research into cognitive interview?

Kohnken

Kohnken’s study - method

conducted a meta analysis combining data from 50 previous studies

Kohnken’s study - results

supporting evidence

• meta-analysis showed the enhanced CI consistently provided more correct info than the standard interview

• suggests police have a greater chance of catching and charging criminals

contradicting evidence

• 61% increase of incorrect information (false positives)

• produced inaccurate memory recall

what are the strength and weaknesses of the cognitive interview?

• supporting evidence for real life application

• cognitive interview is time consuming

• cognitive interview creates an increase in inaccurate info

• variation of cognitive interview are used

supporting evidence for real life application

• meta-analysis by Kohnken - findings show police have a greater change of catching and charging criminals when CI is used

  • this is beneficial to society

• stages of ‘report evidence’ and ‘reinstate context’ are based on Tulving’s encoding specificity hypothesis

  • idea that 2 techniques will trigger cues in mind to help recall further info so is therefore supported by research

cognitive interview is time consuming

• takes much more time than the standard police interview

• more time needed to establish rapport with witness and allow then to relax

• it is unlikely that actual version of CI is actually used

• cognitive interview creates an increase in inaccurate info

• variation of cognitive interview are used