This is a document of revision notes on the cognitive interview for the topic of memory in paper 1 AQA A level psychology. This follows the AQA specification.
Fisher and Geiselman: EWT can be improved if police used better techniques in interviews:
- Report everything: Witnesses must include every detail, even if it seems irrelevant
or they don’t feel confident. Trivial details may be important and trigger memories.
- Reinstate the context: Return to the crime scene ‘in their mind’ - imagine details
about the setting. Relevant to context-dependent forgetting.
- Reverse the order: Recall events in different chronological order to the original
sequence. Prevents reporting their expectations of how the event happened rather
than actual events. Stops lying, harder for people to lie if reversed.
- Change the Perspective: Disrupts the effect of expectations and schema on recall.
(The schema you have for a particular setting generates expectations of what would
have happened which can impact recall).
ECI Fisher et al - added elements to focus on the social dynamics. E.g. knowing when to
establish eye contact. Reducing eyewitness anxiety, minimising distractions, getting
witnesses to speak slowly, asking open-ended questions.
STRENGTH: Some Elements of the CI are more Useful
P: Milne & Bull: each technique used alone, produced more info than police interview.
E: Using a mix of report everything and context reinstatement produced better recall than
other conditions.
J: 2/4 elements can be used to improve interviews even if the full CI isn't used. Increases
credibility of the CI amongst police.
STRENGTH: Support for the Effectiveness of the ECI
P: Meta-analysis by Kohnken et al. combined data from 50 studies.
E: ECI provided more correct information than standard police interviews. Practical benefits
for the police to use ECI.
J: Gives police a greater chance of catching criminals, benefits society.
LIMITATION: Variations of the CI is used
P: Studies of the effectiveness of CI inevitably use different techniques of the ECI.
E: In real life, police evolve and use their methods.
J: Lack of standardisation means we cannot evaluate the usefulness of CI - police can not
afford to waste time and money on something that hasn't been proven to be effective.
LIMITATION: CI is Time Consuming
P: Time consuming to establish a rapport and allow witnesses to relax and be comfortable.
E: Forces can’t provide more than a few hours of training - Kebbel & Wagstaff.
J: Unlikely a proper version of CI is used, explains why police officers aren’t keen on using it.
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