The Cognitive Interview

Question 1

✪ What did Milne and Bull find about the effectivness of CI techniques?

Answer 1

Recall everything and context reinstatement were most effective combined.

Question 2

● What is the purpose of reverse order recall?

Answer 2

To prevent schema and dishonesty

Question 3

▲ How can visualising the crime scene help?

Answer 3

It provides context cues for memory

Question 4

✪ How does Köhnken et al.’s meta-analysis support the cognitive interview?

Answer 4

It found a 41% increase in correct information compared to standard interview.

Question 5

▲ Why is reverse order used in the CI?

Answer 5

Disrupts expected schemas and lying

Question 6

● What year was the cognitive interview developed?

Answer 6

1992

Question 7

✪ How does the CI improve memory accessibility?

Answer 7

By using memory cues to trigger previously inaccessible details.

Question 8

● What does the cognitive interview aim to improve?

Answer 8

Accuracy of eyewitness testimony

Question 9

● What is context reinstatement?

Answer 9

Mentally placing yourself at the scene

Question 10

● What does ‘changed perspective’ involve?

Answer 10

Recalling the event from another person’s viewpoint

Question 11

▲ Why does ‘recall everything’ improve accuracy?

Answer 11

Triggers memory through detail connections

Question 12

✪ What economic implication does inaccurate CI recall have?

Answer 12

Costs from repeated interviews or wrongful convictions waste public funds.

Question 13

▲ How does context reinstatement reduce retrieval failure?

Answer 13

Uses internal and external memory cues

Question 14

✪ Why does Milne and Bull’s research challenge the full CI?

Answer 14

Not all techniques are equally effective, limiting overall usefulness.

Question 15

▲ How does changed perspective help recall?

Answer 15

Challenges expectations and triggers new details

Question 16

✪ What is a weakness of the cognitive interview according to Köhnken et al.?

Answer 16

It also increased incorrect information by 61%.

Question 17

▲ How does asking witnesses to recall backwards help?

Answer 17

Prevents dishonesty and reliance on schema

Question 18

▲ What technique asks for details even if they seem irrelevant?

Answer 18

Recall everything

Question 19

● How many techniques are in the cognitive interview?

Answer 19

Four

Question 20

✪ Why might the cognitive interview lack practicality for all police use?

Answer 20

Some elements are more complex and time-consuming.

Question 21

▲ Why might witnesses struggle with leading questions?

Answer 21

They suggest incorrect details

Question 22

● What type of questions are used in the CI?

Answer 22

Open questions

Question 23

● What kind of questions are avoided in the CI?

Answer 23

Leading questions

Question 24

● Who developed the cognitive interview?

Answer 24

Fisher and Geiselman

Question 25

✪ What is the overall goal of the cognitive interview?

Answer 25

To gain the most accurate and detailed memory possible.

Question 26

✪ How does the CI help applied psychology?

Answer 26

It improves witness memory in real-world legal settings.

Question 27

▲ What technique would ask 'What could you see?'

Answer 27

Context reinstatement

Question 28

● What does ‘recall everything’ encourage?

Answer 28

Reporting all details

Question 29

▲ What is the role of emotion in context reinstatement?

Answer 29

Internal state acts as a retrieval cue

Question 30

✪ Why might false positives be a problem in the cognitive interview?

Answer 30

Incorrect information could lead to false imprisonments and waste police time.