Improving The Accuracy Of Eyewitness Testimony

• What is the purpose of the cognitive interview in police interviews?

  To improve the accuracy of eyewitness testimony
• What are the limitations of eyewitness testimony?

  Anxiety, misleading info, post-event contamination
• Who studied witness interview techniques in Florida?

  Fisher
• What did Fisher term the standard interview?

  The witness interview techniques he observed
• What characterizes the standard interview according to Fisher?

  Witnesses faced direct and closed questions
• How did the order of questions affect the standard interview?

  Questions did not match the witness's mental representation
• What was a common issue during the standard interview?

  Witnesses were frequently interrupted by investigators
• What is the first defining feature of the cognitive interview?

  Context reinstatement
• What does context reinstatement involve?

  Mentally returning to the crime scene
• What is the second feature of the cognitive interview?

  Report everything
• What does "report everything" entail?

  Witnesses share all details, even irrelevant ones
• What is the third feature of the cognitive interview?

  Recall from a chain's perspective
• What does recalling from a chain's perspective aim to do?

  Disrupt the witness's schema
• What is the fourth feature of the cognitive interview?

  Recall in reverse order
• How does recalling in reverse order help witnesses?

  It disrupts their schema and expectations
• What is the enhanced version of the cognitive interview?

  It includes additional suggestions for comfort
• What is one suggestion from the enhanced cognitive interview?

  Allowing the witness to control information flow
• What did Fisher's field research involve?

  Training detectives in the cognitive interview
• What were the results of Fisher's research on the cognitive interview?

  Cognitive interview detectives gained more information
• What did Kroken's meta-analysis reveal about the cognitive interview?

  It showed increased recall of accurate information
• What was the accuracy rate for the cognitive interview according to Kroken?

  85% accuracy
• How does the accuracy of the cognitive interview compare to the standard interview?

  Similar accuracy rates overall
• What did Mine and Bull's study find about the cognitive interview instructions?

  No difference between each instruction's effectiveness
• Which combination of instructions increased recalled information?

  Context reinstatement and report everything
• What is a limitation of the cognitive interview in real-world applications?

  It takes time and requires training
• Why might police forces hesitate to use the cognitive interview?

  Limited financial resources for training
• What is a cost-benefit analysis in the context of the cognitive interview?

  Weighing resources against crime reduction benefits
• What is a weakness of the cognitive interview regarding identity parades?

  It is not effective for identifying subjects
• What modification was developed for younger children in cognitive interviews?

  A modified cognitive interview for ages four to five
• What is the main focus of the modified cognitive interview?

  Adapting to the developmental level of children
• What are the four defining features of the cognitive interview?

  1. Context reinstatement
  2. Report everything
  3. Recall from a chain's perspective
  4. Recall in reverse order
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the cognitive interview?

  Strengths:

  • Increases amount of information recalled
  • High validity from real detective studies

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Time-consuming and requires training
  • Not effective for identity parades