Improving EWT – the cognitive interview

• The police and related agencies have been trying to improve the accuracy of EWT for many years. ​
• Researchers studied police interviews in Florida and found that witnesses were often presented with a series of short, closed questions which attempted to elicit facts. ​
• Furthermore, the police would often ask questions in a sequence that was not synchronised with the events that had taken place. ​
• As a response to criticisms of the traditional police interview, Geiselman et al. (1985) developed the cognitive interview, identifying four key principles that they believed would enhance recall.