cognitive interview

• who developed the cognitive interview?

  fisher and geiselman
• what's the main aim of the cognitive interview?

  improving the accuracy of eyewitness testimony
• what are the 4 principles of cognitive interview?

  1. report everything
  2. reinstate the context
  3. reverse order
  4. change perspective
• outline reporting everything

  witness recalls every detail of the event because minor details act as a cue to trigger important information
• outline reinstating the context

  witness is encouraged to return to scene of event to provide cues to help recall detail
• outline reversing the order of recall

  prevents the witness's expectations of what happened interfering with their memory
• outline changing perspective

  prevents reporting of the individual's expectations
• when was the enhanced cognitive interview developed?

  1987
• explain the focus of the enhanced cognitive interview

  focuses on the dynamic between the interviewer and witness
• strength - research support

  • Kohnken
  • meta-analysis of 53 studies and CI was 34% more accurate
  • more details were recalled but wasn't all accurate
• weakness - practicality

  • Milne & Bull
  • police officers struggle to use techniques due to training, times and resources
  • report everything and reinstate context were most effective
• weakness - individual differences

  • Mello & Fisher
  • CI was more effective for older adults
  • limits generalisability