improve the accuracy of witnesstestimony: cognitiveinterview

• cognitive interview


  method of interviewing eyewitnesses to help them retrieve more accurate memories

  uses four main techniques, all based on well-established psychological knowledge of human memory
• report everything


  witnesses are encouraged to report every detail of the event, even if it may seem irrelevant
• reinstate the context


  witnesses should return to the original crim scene 'in their mind' and imagine the environment
• reverse the order


  events should be recalled in a different chronological order

  this is done to prevent people reporting their expectations of how the event must happen
• change perspective


  witnesses should recall the incident from other peoples perspectives
• evaluation: limitation, the cognitive interview is time consuming

  • takes much longer than the standard police interview
  • CI also requires special training
• evaluation: strength, some elements may be more valuable than others

  • each technique used singly produced more information than the standard police interview
  • increases the credibility
• evaluation: strength, support for the effectiveness of the ECI

  • enhanced cognitive interview offers special benefits
  • studies such as this one indicate that there are real practical benefits to the police
  • gives police a greater chance of catching and charging criminals