Cognitive interview

• Cognitive interview is a procedure used by the police when interviewing witnesses. Geiselman et al argued that EWT can be improved by using better techniques when interviewing witnesses they suggested that the techniques used should be based on the physiological understanding of how memory works.
• CI includes 4 main techniques: 1. Report everything The eyewitness is asked to report all details of the event even if it seems irrelevant to them. Trivial details may be important and may trigger important memories. 2. Reinstate the context The witness should return to the original crime scene in their mind and imagine the environment and their emotions.
• 3. Reverse the order The events should be recalled in a different order from original sequence to prevent expectation of how the events must have happened rather than reporting the actual events it also prevents dishonesty

  
  

  
  

  
  

  4. Change perspective

  5. Witnesses should recall the event from another person’s perspective this reduces the chance of expectation schema affecting what’s recalled
• ENHANCED COGNITIVE INTERVIEW ECI – The cognitive interview was further developed by fisher into enhanced cognitive interview this focused on building trust in the interviewer such as reducing the eyewitnesses anxiety asking open ending questions getting them to speak slower focusing on the social dynamics of the interacting such as when to make eye contact.