Fisher and Geiselman argued EWT could be improved if police used better techniques when interviewing witnesses. These techniques were based on psychological insights into how memory works collectively - this is called a cognitive interview
Witnesses are encouraged to include every detail of an event, even if it seems irrelevant or the witness is not confident about it. Seemingly trivial details could be important and may trigger other memories
Events should be recalled in a different chronological order than the event happened, this prevents witnesses from reporting information that is expected or desired from them or lying
Witnesses should recall incident from other people's perspective. This is done to disrupt effect of expectations and schema on recall. Schema generates expectations of what would've happened and it's the schema that is recalled rather than what actually happened
Fisher et al developed additional elements of the cognitive interview on social dynamics of interaction. Enhanced cognitive interview ideas such as reducing eye witnesses anxiety, minimising distractions and getting witness to speak slowly/plainly
