The Cognitive Interview

The Cognitive Interview

1. Uncovering Deception

   • Sheppard in the case of R v Hill and Smith (1992) argued the complexity of CI makes it useful to detect liars and truth tellers and it makes it difficult to lie.
   • Vrij et al (2008) liars showed fewer indicators of liars when interviewed in accusatory manner as they would provide shorter answers.
   • Hernzadez & Alsono-Quecuty (1997) can disciminate between liars and non-liars because CI gives opportunity to elaborate on contextual and sensory details which are used to detect truthfulness.
   • Vrij et al (2008) lying is cognitively demanding and the CI may also increase cognitive load. The reverse order mnemonic in particular increases cognitive load and this makes it easier to detect liars.
   • Vrij et al (2008) in the reverse order mnemonic liars showed to provide less contextual and auditory details, more speech hesitations, speech errors and eye blinks and a slower speech rate.

2. Police Perceptions

   • Kebbell, MIlne & Wagstaff (1996) 96 trained in CI, 65 not. 89.4% said that the CI produced more information than the SI. Establish rapport, report everything, encouraging concentration, witness compatible questioning and mental context reinstatement = most used and most effective.
   • Dando, WIlcock & Milne (2008) more recent study found establish rapport, report everything and uninterrupted recall to most useful and used. No officer trained in CI used it in it's whole entirety.
   • Context reinstatement is the best to use but officers have problems using it - need a protocol.
   • Kebbell, Milne & Wagstaff (1996) 54% of trained CI officers said they didn't have enough time to conduct a "good CI'. 93% said CI took longer than SI.
   • CI is not cost effective and is used in less than 20% of interviews.

3. Componential Approach to the Mnemonics

   • The most reliable are context reinstatement and report everything so should use these to shorten CI and maintain it's effectiveness. Reverse order is good for detecting liars but not for memory facilitation.
   • Boon & Noon (1994) should use all original mnemonics other than change perspectives.
   • Davies et al (2005) there was no effect of change order or perspective techniques in free recall attempts. Context reinstatement and free recall are crucial to CI.
   • Milne & Bull (2006) context reinstatement and free recall combined are superior to other components.
   • Verkampt & Ginet (2010) children are less suggestible if change perspective is removed.
   • George (1991) memory enhancements are the result of removing problems associated with the standard interview. Training best spent for context reinstatement, free recall and social aspects of CI.

4. Sketch MRC - mental context reinstatement.

   • Dando, Wilcock & Milne (2009) best context reinstatement is to ask witnesses to draw a picture of what happened.
   • Dando, Wilcock, Milne & Henry (2009) shortened CI with this was better than SI.
   • Dando (2010) can sometimes lead to inflated false positive errors.
   • No use with ear witnesses.

5. Self-Administered Interview (SAI)

   • Gabbert, Hope & Fisher (2009).
   • Context reinstatement.
   • Report everything, don't guess, eye closure.
   • Descriptive details of offender.
   • Draw picture.
   • Describe vehicles.
   • Consider view of incident.
   • Dando et al (2011) this elicits more accurate information than free recall and strengthens witness memory.