Memory L9: Cognitive Interview

• Who developed the cognitive interview to improve eyewitness testimony?

  Fisher and Geiselman
• What is the purpose of the cognitive interview?

  To improve eyewitness testimony during police interviews
• What are the four main techniques of the cognitive interview?

  1. Report everything
  2. Reinstate the context
  3. Reverse the order
  4. Change the perspective
• What does the technique "report everything" entail?

  Including all details that may be important
• How does "reinstate the context" help witnesses?

  It helps them recall emotions and environment
• Why is "reverse the order" used in cognitive interviews?

  To prevent dishonesty and expectations influencing recall
• What is the purpose of "change the perspective" in cognitive interviews?

  To disrupt expectations and schema effects on recall
• What does ECI stand for in the context of cognitive interviews?

  Enhanced cognitive interview
• What additional elements does the ECI focus on?

  Social dynamics between witness and interviewer
• What should interviewers do regarding eye contact during the ECI?

  Know when to establish and relinquish eye contact
• What are some techniques to enhance the ECI?

  Minimize distractions and ask open-ended questions
• What evidence supports the effectiveness of the cognitive interview?

  • Meta-analysis by Kohnken et al 1999
  • 41% increase in accuracy
  • 4 out of 55 studies showed no difference
• What is a limitation of the cognitive interview according to the evaluation?

  Increased amount of inaccurate information recalled
• What did the evaluation find about the ECI specifically?

  It led to more inaccurate information recalled
• What did Milne and Bull 2002 discover about the CI techniques?

  Some techniques are more effective than others
• Which combination of techniques produced the best recall according to Milne and Bull?

  Report everything and reinstate the context
• What is a limitation regarding the time and training for the CI?

  It takes more time and training than standard interviews
• What did Kebbell and Wagstaff 1997 find about CI training?

  It requires special training compared to standard interviews
• What is a drawback of the 'pick and mix' approach in CI?

  It complicates comparison of effectiveness in studies
• What is a strength of the 'pick and mix' approach in CI?

  It allows flexibility for individual interviewers