Cognitive interview

Who developed the cognitive interview?

Geiselman

What are the aims of the cognitive interview?

Increase the reliability of EWT by maximising the range of retrieval cues

What are the 4 elements of the cognitive interview?

1. Report everything

2. Reinstate the context

3. Reverse the order

4. Change perspective

Give an example of a “report everything” question

“Please can you tell me what happened on that day? Start at the beginning - leave nothing out. I am interested in absolutely everything.”

Give an example of a “reinstate the context” question

“I would like you to think back to that day. Try to get a clear picture in your mind. Think of the objects that were there: the colours, smells, sounds, etc. How were you feeling?”

Give an example of a “reverse the order” question

“Please can you tell me what happened backwards? I know it sounds hard, but start with the very last thing you remember.”

Give an example of a “change perspective” question

“Try to recall the incident from the perspective of another person involved. Can you describe what he/she would have seen?”

What is meant by reinstating the context?

Eyewitness reinstates the environment and personal context of the incident (e.g. sights, sounds, weather)

What psychological theories is reinstating the context based on?

Encoding specificity principle & retrieval failure

Which two elements of the cognitive interview reduce the possibility of schema interfering with recall?

Change the order & change perspective

Give an example of how changing the order might operate with a witness

Recall the details from the end of the incident and work backwards

Give an example of how changing the perspective might operate with a witness

Recall what another witness at the scene might have observed

Why is reporting everything part of the cognitive interview?

Details that might seem irrelevant can help to trigger other memories

Who developed the enhanced cognitive interview?

Fisher et al

How does the enhanced cognitive interview differ from the standard cognitive interview?

Focuses more on the social dynamics of the situation:

• Making & relinquishing eye contact

• Reducing anxiety

• Minimising distraction

• Encouraging witness to breathe slowly

• Asking open-ended questions

Discuss the cognitive interview as a means of improving the accuracy of memory (16 marks)

Write your AO1 paragraph

• The cognitive interview is a technique, developed by Geiselman, used by the police when dealing with an eyewitness. It aims to increase the reliability of EWT by maximising the range of retrieval cues. There are 4 ways it does this.

• Firstly, reinstating the context - the eyewitness mentally reinstates the environmental & personal context of the incident (e.g. sights, sounds, weather). This is based on Tulving’s encoding specificity principle & the principle of retrieval failure that cues may trigger recall. Secondly, report everything - the interviewer encourages the reporting of every single detail of the event, even though it may seem irrelevant; such details may trigger other memories.

• Thirdly, changing the order - the interviewer tries alternative ways through the timeline of the incident (e.g. from the middle to the beginning). This reduces the possibility that recall may be influenced by schema. Finally, changing perspective - the eyewitness recalls from different perspectives (e.g. how it would have appeared to other witnesses). This reduces the influence of schema.

• The enhanced cognitive interview (developed by Fisher et al.) also facilitates recall by focusing upon social interaction, reducing anxiety/distractions, slow speech & open-ended questions.

Discuss the cognitive interview as a means of improving the accuracy of memory (16 marks)

Write your strength AO3 PEEL (Fisher)

• Point: One strength of the cognitive interview is there is research evidence to support its effectiveness within police investigations.

• Evidence: For example, Fisher trained 6 detectives from the robbery division in Miami, Florida to use the cognitive interview.

• Explain: Results found the detectives reported a 47% increase in the amount of useful information provided by eyewitnesses compared to a standard police interview.

• Link: As such, this not only highlights the cognitive interview’s theoretical value, but also its practical value in real-world police settings.

Discuss the cognitive interview as a means of improving the accuracy of memory (16 marks)

Write your limitation AO3 PEEL (Milne & Bull)

• Point: One limitation of the cognitive interview is that some parts of the technique may be more effective than others.

• Evidence: For example, Milne & Bull found that ‘report everything’ & ‘reinstate the context’ were the most effective, whilst ‘changing the perspective’ was not as useful when used in isolation.

• Explain: This suggests that using the full technique may not always be necessary or the most time-efficient.

• Link: As such, this means the cognitive interview could be adapted to focus on the most effective techniques to save time, money & resources.

Discuss the cognitive interview as a means of improving the accuracy of memory (16 marks)

Write your limitation AO3 PEEL (more time & training)

• Point: One limitation of the cognitive interview is that it requires more time & training than the standard police interview.

• Evidence: For example, police may be reluctant to use the cognitive interview, as more time is needed to establish rapport with the eyewitness & allow them to relax (i.e. reduce anxiety/distractions).

• Explain: Additionally, the cognitive interview requires special training & many police forces have not been able to provide more than a few hours.

• Link: Therefore, this suggests the cognitive interview may not always be used exactly as it was originally designed, limiting its overall effectiveness.