Cognitive interview

Question 1

Who came up with cognitive interview?

Answer 1

Fisher and Geiselman (1992)

Question 2

What did Fisher and Geiselman claim about EWT

Answer 2

EWT could be improved if the police use techniques based on cognitive insights into how memory works.

Question 3

What is the first main technique used in cognitive interview

Answer 3

Report everything- Witnesses are encouraged to include every detail of an event, even if it seems irrelevant or the witness is not confident about it. Reason- Seemingly trivial details could be important and may trigger other memories

Question 4

What is the second main technique used in cognitive interview

Answer 4

Reinstate the context- The witness returns to the original crime scene ‘in their mind’ and imagines the environment and their emotions. Reason- Cues from context and state may prompt recall (Context-dependant and state-dependant forgetting

Question 5

What is the third technique used in cognitive interview

Answer 5

Events recalled from a different order, e.g middle to beginning to end of an event. Reason- Prevents people basing description on their expectations of how the event must have happened rather than the actuall event
+ Prevents dishonesty

Question 6

What is the fourth main technique used in cognitive interview

Answer 6

Change perspective- Witnesses recall the incident from other people’s perspectives. How would have appeared to another witness or to the perpetrator.

Reason- Prevents the influence of expectations and schema on recall. The schema generates expectations of what would have happened and it is the schema that is recalled rather than what actually happened

Question 7

What is ECI

Answer 7

Enhanced cognitive interview- Fisher in 1987 developed the enhanced cognitive interview which includes a focus on the social dynamics of the interaction e.g. knowing when to establish and relinquish eye contact

The ECI also includes ideas such as reducing the eye witnesses anxiety, minimising distraction, getting the witness to speak slowly and asking open minded questions