cognitive interview

• what is the cognitive interview?

  method of interviewing eyewitnesses to help retrieve more accurate memories
• what were the 4 principles that Geiselman et al suggest?

  1. mental reinstatement of original context
  2. report everything
  3. reverse the order
  4. change perspective
• outline reinstating the context

  witnesses return to crime scene in mind and imagine environment and emotions
• outline reporting everything

  encouraged to include every detail even if irrelevant

  • unimportant details trigger memories
• outline reversing the order

  recall events in different chronological order

  • prevents reporting expectations
  • prevents dishonesty
• outline changing perspective

  recall incident from someone else's perspective

  • disrupts effects of expectations and schemas
• outline evaluation point one for the cognitive interview

  time consuming

  • specialist training
  • "proper" version is never used
• outline evaluation point two for the cognitive interview

  valuable elements

  • report and reinstate had better recall
  • improves recall
  • increases credibility
• outline evaluation point three for the cognitive interview

  research support

  • meta-analysis
  • CI provide more correct info than standard
  • practical benefits to police and society