Eyewitness Performance in Cognitive and Structured Interviews

Eyewitness performance in Cognitive and Structured Interviews

Memon, Amina and Wark, Linsey and Holley, Angela and Bull, Ray and Koehnken, Guenter (1997) Eyewitness performance in Cognitive and Structured Interviews. Memory 5:pp. 639-655.

Abstract

This paper addresses two methodological and theoretical questions relating to the Cognitive Interview (CI), which previous research has found to increase witness recall in interviews. (1) To what extent are the effects of the CI mnemonic techniques when communication techniques are held constant? (2) How do trained interviewers compare with untrained interviewers? In this study, witnesses (college students) viewed a short film clip of a shooting and were questioned by interviewers (research assistants) trained in conducting the CI or a Structured Interview (SI), similar to the CI save for the `cognitive' components, or by untrained interviewers (UI). The CI and SI groups recalled significantly more correct information compared to the UI group. However they also reported more errors and confabulated details. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed in terms of precisely identifying the CI facilitatory effects and consequent good practice in the forensic setting.

Memon, A., Wark, L., Holley, A., Bull, R. & Koehnken, G. (1997) Eyewitness performance in Cognitive and Structured Interviews. Memory, 5, 639-655.

Eyewitness performance in Cognitive and Structured Interviews

Linsey Wark & Angela Holley
Department of Psychology
University of Southampton
Southampton
S017 1BJ
U.K.

Ray Bull
Department of Psychology
University of Portsmouth
Portsmouth
P01 2ER
U.K.

Guenter Koehnken
Institut fur psychologie
Universitat Kiel
Olshausenstr 40-60
24098 Kiel
Germany

Keywords: cognitive interview, eyewitness, retrieval, mnemonics, training

Abstract

This paper addresses two methodological and theoretical questions relating to the Cognitive Interview (CI), which previous research has found to increase witness recall in interviews. (1) To what extent are the effects of the CI mnemonic techniques when communication techniques are held constant? (2) How do trained interviewers compare with untrained interviewers? In this study, witnesses (college students) viewed a short film clip of a shooting and were questioned by interviewers (research assistants) trained in conducting the CI or a Structured Interview (SI), similar to the CI save for the `cognitive' components, or by untrained interviewers (UI). The CI and SI groups recalled significantly more correct information compared to the UI group. However they also reported more errors and confabulated details. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed in terms of precisely identifying the CI facilitatory effects and consequent good practice in the forensic setting.

Eyewitness Performance in Cognitive and Structured Interviews

The Cognitive Interview (CI) is a technique which has undergone considerable modification in the last ten years designed to optimise its effectiveness in enhancing eyewitness recall (Fisher, Geiselman & Amador, 1989; Fisher & Geiselman, 1992; Memon & Koehnken, 1992; Koehnken, 1995; Memon, 1996). In an extension of the CI, Fisher and Geiselman (1992) recommend a number of additional techniques be used (we shall refer to this version as the enhanced CI). The enhanced CI has not been extensively tested, most studies rely on the original procedure. The present study tests the enhanced CI as described in Fisher and Geiselman (1992) against two controls. The first control is an interview procedure which incorporates some of the communication elements of the enhanced CI (but not its original cognitive components) and the second is an untrained control.