COGNITIVE INTERVIEWS

• What is a cognitive interview?


  A method of interviewing eyewitnesses which aims to help improve the accuracy to EWT by utilising retrieval cues.
• What are characteristics of cognitive interviews?

  • Less questions
  • Use memory retrieval techniques
  • Utilise cues
  • Make the participant more comfortable.
• Who developed the cognitive interview?


  Fisher and Geisleman.
• What are the 4 components of cognitive interviews?

  • Report everything - RE
  • Reinstatement of context - RC
  • Change/reverse order - RO
  • Change perspective - CP.
• What is a strength of cognitive interviews?

  Has a positive effect of the economy -By improving the accuracy of EWT, the CI may be helping to improve efficiency in the legal system. E.g. it may help police identify criminals sooner by maximising the information eyewitnesses can give.

  -Helps reduce waste and improve efficiency in the justice system.
• What is a strength of cognitive interviews?


  Evidence to support - Kohnken et al (1999) - In a meta-analysis of 53 studies, they found that cognitive interviews generated on average 34% more correct information than standard interviewing techniques. It was concluded the cognitive interview was a more effective interview technique than the older interview methods. 

  -Supports the view that the cognitive interview can increase EWT accuracy.
• What is a weakness of cognitive interviews?


  Ethical issues - means that asking participants to mentally ‘relive’ often very traumatic experiences may lead to a lack of protection from harm. For example, someone who witnessed a particularly violent murder might find going through the event in such vivid detail too traumatic.

  -Might go against the ethical code of conduct.
• What is a weakness of cognitive interviews?


  Police have criticised the amount of time CI take - In practice, it seemed that the officers felt unable to conduct a full CI due to the lack of time available and the need for the key details rather than great detail. E.g. it has been shown that officers often favoured using the RE and CR instructions but would not spend time using the CP and RO instructions. 

  -suggests that not all the techniques of the CI are useful.
• What is a weakness of cognitive interviews?


  May increase inaccurate recall - Studies have shown that, as well as increasing the amount of correct information recalled, the CI also increased the amount of incorrect information recalled. Kohnken et al (1999) found that, as well as an increase in correct information, there was also a 61% increase in incorrect information when the CI was compared to a standard interview.

  -CI may cause nearly as many problems as it solves.