The cognitive interview

• Fisher and Geiselman argued...

  EWT can be improved if police used better techniques when interviewing witnesses
• How many main techniques?

  4 main techniques
• 1. Report everything


  Witnesses encouraged to include every detail of the event

  Including every detail may trigger other important memories
• 2. Reinstate the context


  Witnesses should return to the original crime scene in their mind

  Imagine environment and their emotions
• 3. Reverse the order


  Witnesses should recall the event in different order to original sequence

  Prevents reporting their expectations of how event happened
• 4. Change perspective


  Witnesses should recall incident from other perspectives

  Disrupts effect of schema on recall
• Enhanced cognitive interview


  Focus on social dynamics of interaction

  E.g. reducing eyewitness anxiety, minimising distractions and asking open-ended questions