Improving the accuracy of EWT

• Cognitive Interview = A method of interviewing eyewitnesses to help them retrieve information
• Geiselman & Fisher (1985) - Aim:

  To test the cognitive interview technique
• Geiselman & Fisher (1985) - Method:

  240 PPs watched a video of a store robbery. 120 were interviewed using standard police interview and 120 used cognitive interview
• Geiselman & Fisher (1985) - Findings:

  PPs interviewed using cognitive interview recalled 35% more facts
• Geiselman & Fisher (1985) - Conclusion:

  The cognitive interview technique is more effective than standard police interview
• Geiselman & Fisher (1985) - Evaluation:

  ✔ Supports cognitive interview

  ✔Highly controlled, easy to replicate

  ✘ Lacks ecological validity, wasn't a real crime as it was just a video
• Four Techniques of Cognitive Interview:

  1. Report everything
  2. Reinstate the context
  3. Change the perspective
  4. Reverse the order
• Report everything = Even seemingly insignificant details may be important or trigger the recall of larger events by acting as a cue
• Reinstate the context = Recalling the weather, location and mood of the day prevents context - dependent forgetting by reminding the eyewitnesses' of their external cues
• Change the perspective = Recalling events from the perspective of the victim or persecutor prevents the Eyewitness from their schemas of how the crime happened
• Reverse the order = Recalling events in a different order reduces ability to lie and also reduces the impact of schemas
• Through cognitive interview - the interviewer aims to encourage the interviewee to mentally recreate both physical and psychological environment of the original incident
• Milne and Bull (2002) - Found that 'report everything' and 'reinstate the context' are better at producing recall than the other two elements of cognitive interview
• Enhanced cognitive interview was developed by Fisher et al (1987)
• Enhanced cognitive interview:

  • focuses on the social side of the interactions between the EW and the interviewer
  • Knowing when to make eye contact and make the EW calm and comfortable along with interviews keeping rapport with EW (so they are more likely to tell the truth)
• Enhanced cognitive interview wants to build a trusted relationship between interviewer and interviewee

  • shouldn't distract or interupt the EW
  • ask open questions
  • encouraged to say 'don't know' if they need to
  • seek to reduce anxiety
• Cognitive interview - PEEL 1:

  Limitation - Cognitive Interview increases correct information by 81% but also incorrect information by 61% therefore cognitive interview may be counterintuitive
• Cognitive interview - PEEL 2:

  Limitation - Has little practical value due to being time consuming and requiring specialist skills - needs to have enhanced social understanding and many hours of training
• Cognitive interview - PEEL 3:

  Strength - Support from the Geiselman and Fisher (1985) study that was highly controlled and easy to replicate
• Cognitive interview - PEEL 4:

  The entire cognitive interview doesn't have to be used to see the benefits - Milne and Bull (2002) said that only 2 need to be used so police can use gradual training to make gradual changes over time
• Cognitive interview - PEEL Paragraphs:

  • limitation - has little practical value
  • limitation - counterintuitive
  • strength - supporting study - Geiselman & Fisher (1985)
  • strength - gradual change - Milne and Bull (2002)