AO3 - Improving Eyewitness Testimony

• Fisher et al (1990) found that witnesses reported greater detail in their accounts of crimes when American detectives had been trained to use the cognitive interview technique.
• Köhnken et al (1999) found that the cognitive interview gained 34% more information than the standard police interview.
• Milne & Bull (2002) found that individual components of the cognitive interview are as effective as the standard interview (mentally reinstate).
• Stein & Memon (2006) used female cleaners in Brazil to test the accuracy of the cognitive interview. They watched a video of an abduction and found that more accurate information was recalled after using the cognitive interview.
• Individual Differences play a part in memory recall. Mello & Fisher (1996) found the cognitive interview produced more accurate information when used with older participants.
• Not all police forces use the cognitive interview, making it less reliable.
• Kebbell & Wagstaff (1996) found that using the cognitive interview takes much more time, which is not effective.
• The cognitive interview is a standardised procedure so has high reliability in practice.
• The cognitive interview can be used in real life, so has good practical applications.
• The technique is more structured than the standard interview and seems more appropriate for crime-related interviews.
• The cognitive interview is far more time-consuming than the standard interview.