Cognitive Interview Technique

• Fisher and Geiselman - Cognitive interview technique.
• Who made the Cognitive Interview Technique?

  Fisher and Geiselman
• What year did Fisher and Geiselman make the Cognitive Interview Technique?

  1992
• Cognitive Interview Technique

  1. Report everything
  2. Context reinstatement
  3. Recall in reverse order
  4. Recall from a different perspective
• In the Cognitive Interview Technique the police should not interrupt the witness and try to build a rapport with them.
• Geiselman and Fisher - Lab experiment (1985)

  • Procedure - 240 participants watched a video of a robbery. 120 were interviewed using standard police interviews and the remaining were interviewed with the Cognitive Interview Technique.
  • Results - Participants interviewed with the Cognitive Interview Technique remembered 35% more information.
• Geiselman and Fisher - Field test (1989)

  • Procedure - Real witnesses to a robbery were used. 7/16 detective’s were trained in Cognitive Interview Technique. The interviews were recorded and analysed by a team at the University of California who were blind to the conditions.
  • Findings - 63% more information was obtained by the detectives trained in the Cognitive Interview Technique.
• When did Geiselman and Fisher complete their lab experiment?

  1985
• When did Geiselman and Fisher complete their field-experiment?

  1989
• Kohnken et al

  Carried out a meta-analysis of 53 other studies and found CI could find 34% more detail.
• Geiselman and Fisher

  • Cognitive Interview Technique is only useful when two or more components are used.
  • It is difficult to compare studies as police forces use adapted versions of the CI technique to suit them.
  • The CI technique can be costly and time consuming.
  • Young chilkdren seem to find this technique confusing. Geiselman only recommends this technique is used on those aged eight or above.