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The Cognitive Interview (CI) is a technique developed to improve eyewitness recall accuracy in law enforcement. It employs strategies like mental context reinstatement, exhaustive reporting, varied recall sequences, and changed perspectives to combat memory unreliability. The Enhanced Cognitive Interview (ECI) further integrates social dynamics for better results. Empirical studies validate CI's effectiveness, showing it leads to more detailed and accurate accounts, even among children.
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The cognitive interview was developed to improve the accuracy of eyewitness testimony by utilizing cognitive psychological principles
Mental Reinstatement of Context
Witnesses are asked to mentally reconstruct the physical and emotional environment of the incident to tap into context-dependent memory
Exhaustive Reporting
Witnesses are encouraged to provide a complete account of all details, even those that may seem insignificant, as they may be critical to the investigation
Varying the Order of Recall
Witnesses are prompted to recount the event in different sequences to prevent the creation of a narrative based on expectations or mental schemas
Change of Perspective
Witnesses are asked to describe the event from another person's viewpoint to minimize the influence of their own biases on memory recall
Empirical studies have consistently shown that the cognitive interview leads to more detailed and accurate eyewitness accounts, with research indicating its effectiveness across diverse demographic groups
The enhanced cognitive interview was developed to incorporate aspects of social dynamics into the interview process, addressing the witness's attitudes, motivations, and perceptions of the interview's fairness and respectfulness
Positive Interview Process
The enhanced cognitive interview aims to create a positive interview process, as studies have shown that witnesses who view the process positively tend to provide more detailed and accurate information
The enhanced cognitive interview is considered one of the most effective methods for eliciting reliable eyewitness testimony, with studies demonstrating its ability to gather more information compared to traditional interview techniques
Empirical studies have consistently shown that the cognitive interview leads to more detailed and accurate eyewitness accounts, making it a valuable tool in criminal investigations
The cognitive interview has been shown to be effective across diverse demographic groups, including children, highlighting its adaptability in various investigative contexts
Some critiques of the cognitive interview point to its potential lack of ecological validity, as it has primarily been tested using video simulations rather than actual crime scenes
The cognitive interview can be more time-consuming than traditional methods and requires specialized training for interviewers, making it resource-intensive
Not all components of the cognitive interview have been shown to be equally effective, highlighting the need for further research and refinement of the technique
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CI Purpose: Combat Eyewitness Unreliability
CI uses cognitive psychology to improve eyewitness recall accuracy, addressing testimony unreliability.
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CI Strategy: Mental and Environmental Context
CI encourages witnesses to recreate original context to enhance memory retrieval.
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CI Concept: Retrieval Failure
CI is based on the idea that similar encoding and retrieval contexts increase memory recall likelihood.
