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 information, 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 issues did Fisher identify with the standard interview?

  Closed questions, interruptions, disorganized questioning
• What are the four defining features of the cognitive interview?

  Context reinstatement, report everything, perspective change, reverse order
• What is context reinstatement in the cognitive interview?

  Mentally returning to the crime scene
• Why is it important to report everything in the cognitive interview?

  Every detail may act as a memory cue
• What does recalling from a changed perspective aim to do?

  Disrupt the witness's schema to reduce bias
• What is the purpose of recalling in reverse order?

  To disrupt the witness's expectations
• What is an enhanced version of the cognitive interview?

  It includes additional suggestions for comfort
• What did Fisher's field research reveal about the cognitive interview?

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

  Increased recall of accurate information but also incorrect information
• What was the accuracy rate for the cognitive interview according to Kroken's study?

  85% accuracy
• What did Mine and Bull's study reveal about the cognitive interview instructions?

  No difference between each instruction's effectiveness
• What combination of instructions increased information recall in the cognitive interview?

  Context reinstatement and report everything
• Why might police forces hesitate to use the cognitive interview?

  It requires additional financial resources
• What are the practical limitations of the cognitive interview?

  Time-consuming and requires trained officers
• What is a limitation of the cognitive interview regarding identity parades?

  It is not effective for identifying subjects
• What modified version of the cognitive interview was developed for young children?

  The modified cognitive interview by Holiday
• For which age group was the modified cognitive interview shown to be effective?

  Four to five year olds
• What are the key features of the cognitive interview?

  • Context reinstatement
  • Report everything
  • Recall from a changed perspective
  • Recall in reverse order
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the cognitive interview?

  Strengths:

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

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Time-consuming
  • Requires trained officers
  • Not effective for identity parades
• How does the cognitive interview compare to the standard interview?

  • Cognitive interview yields more information
  • Similar accuracy rates (85% vs 82%)
  • Cognitive interview is more time-consuming