A03 Improving the accuracy of EWT: cognitive interview

• The Cognitive interview is time-consuming

  Police are reluctant to use cognitive interview as it takes more time than standard police interview. CI also requires special training and many forces have not been able to provide more than a few hours according to Kebbell and Wagstaff. Thus, it is unlikely that the proper version of CI is used
• Some elements may be more valuable than others

  Milne and Bull found each individual element is equally valuable: each technique used singly produced more info than standard police interviews
• Combinations

  They found combination of report everything and context reinstatement produced better recall than any other conditions. Increases credibility of the CI amongst those who use it- police officers
• Support of the effectiveness of the ECI

  Research suggests that the ECI may offer special benefits. Kohnken conducted a meta-analysis of combined 50 studies where ECI consistently provided more correct info than standard interviews used by police
• Practical benefits

  Indicates there are real practical benefits to the police of using the ECI. Research shows it gives police a greater chance of catching/charging criminals, which is beneficial to society as a whole
• Variations of the CI are used

  Studies of the effectiveness of the CI inevitably use slightly different different CI techniques or use the ECI. Same is true in real life- police forces evolve their own methods
• CI creates an increase in inaccurate information


  Techniques of the CI aim to increase the amount of correct info remembered but the recall of info that incorrect may also increase.
• Kohnken et al

  81% increase of correct info but 61% increase of incorrect info when ECI was compared to a standard police interview