Individual differences The Cognitive Interview (CI) may be particularly useful when interviewing older witnesses. Negative stereotypes about age-related memory decline can make older adults more cautious about reporting information, potentially leading to incomplete recall. However, the CI encourages witnesses to report all details, no matter how insignificant they may seem, which can help counteract this hesitancy.
Mello and Fisher (1996) compared the memory recall of older adults (mean age 72) and younger adults (mean age 22) after watching a filmed crime, using either the CI or Standard Interview (SI). They found that the CI produced more information for both older and younger participants compared to the SI.
This suggests that the CI is suitable for people of all ages, as it helps overcome the reluctance to provide details, particularly among older witnesses, and enhances memory recall for everyone involved.