Parents evening will involve preparing for an exam question on the cognitive interview technique. The cognitive interview is a method used to improve accurate eyewitness recall. It is based on principles of memory organization and context cues aiding retrieval. The four techniques are reinstating context, changing sequence, changing perspective, and reporting everything. Research shows the cognitive interview improves accurate eyewitness statements compared to standard interviews.

1. Parents evening
Take this time to prepare for the Age
and EWT 12 marker in a moment.

2. Write your answer to the 12 mark question.
Use your plan.
AO1 = 6 marks. AO2 = 6 marks.
Outline = select research into Age+EWT. More or less detail?
Evaluate = research problems, contradictory?
ACCURATE AND REASONABLY DETAILED!

3. L/Os:
1. To be able to describe the
The four techniques used in
cognitive interviews.
Cognitive 2. To be able to explain how
the cognitive interview
Interview differs from a standard
interview.
A method developed to improve the amount of accurate recall
from witnesses.
Waddington and Bull (2007): the cognitive interview encourages
accurate and thorough recall of specific events.
Starter: Using what you know about cognitions and memory,
any ideas how this might work?

4. L/Os:
To be able to describe the four techniques used in cognitive
interviews.
The cognitive interview is based on two principles
of memory:
Organisation of memory – can be accessed via
many routes.
Context of memory – cues present at the time of
storage aid retrieval.

5. L/Os:
To be able to describe the four techniques used in cognitive
interviews.
• No standardised questions.
• No time-limit.
• Interviewer remains silent.
• Interviewer can take notes.
• Clarification and elaboration is only asked for
after recall is complete.
• Only open-ended and non-leading questions.

6. You need a piece of paper and a pen.
Choose someone in the room that you
know well.
Look down at your paper and describe
their face in as much detail as you can,
in words.
Try drawing their face, without looking.

7. L/Os:
To be able to describe the four techniques used in cognitive
interviews.
You are going to work in pairs/threes.
You will be given one of the four techniques for
cognitive interview.
You should read about it, get your head around
it then find a way of presenting it to the class.
- A short role play would be fabulous
(interviewer and interviewee).

8. L/Os:
To be able to describe the four techniques used in cognitive
interviews.
Four techniques:
1. Reinstate the context
Principle: return the interviewee to the situation /
context to aid memory retrieval.
How?
- Recreating the original mood.
- Ask interviewee to think back to where they were,
what they were doing.

9. L/Os:
To be able to describe the four techniques used in cognitive
interviews.
Four techniques:
2. Change sequence
Principle: to encourage not skipping details in
retrieval.
How?
- Asked to recall events in any order (not
chronological).
- Begin at any point.
- Asked to repeat the account, reversing the order of
events.

10. L/Os:
To be able to describe the four techniques used in cognitive
interviews.
Four techniques:
3. Change perspective
Principle: thinking as another person might aid
retrieval of details.
How?
- Asked to recall events from another perspective.
- Only what they know – not being imaginative as
this will reduce accuracy.

11. L/Os:
To be able to describe the four techniques used in cognitive
interviews.
Four techniques:
4. Report everything
Principle: encouraging unrestrained recall is likely to
reveal details that otherwise might be mentally
‘edited out’.
How?
- Asked to report everything and anything.
- Regardless of how fragmented or irrelevant the
details might seem.

12. Enhanced Cognitive Interview
• Why? It was felt that there was a lack of
communication between interviewer and
interviewee – affecting recall/accuracy.
• How? More instructions from interviewer:
speak slowly and carefully; encourage comfort
by adapting language.
• Support? Fisher et al (1987) – 57.5% more
correct eye-witness statements compared
with 39.6% with original cog. Interview.

13. Complete this
exam question –
IDENTIFY AND
EXPLAIN.

14. HOW DID YOU DO?
Question 1
AO1 = 6 marks Accurate explanation of each technique
The main techniques used in the cognitive interview are summarised below.
Context reinstatement - trying to mentally recreate an image of the situation, including
details of the environment, such as the weather conditions and the individual’s
emotional state including their feelings at the time of the incident.
Recall from changed perspective – trying to mentally recreate the situation from
different points of view eg describing what another witness present at the scene
would have seen.
Recall in reverse order – the witness is asked to recall the scene in a different
chronological order eg from the end to the beginning.
Report everything – the interviewer encourages the witness to report all details about
the event, even though these details may seem to be unimportant.
In both cases, 1 mark for identifying an appropriate technique and 2 further marks for
accurate elaboration.

15. Complete 5 (a), 5 (b) and 5 (c) on the exam paper copy.

16. How did you do?
1 mark for naming one relevant technique.
2 marks for naming two or more techniques or for a
very brief outline of how one could be used.
Further marks for elaboration.
3-4 marks ONLY If the outline relates to the event.

17. Question 5(c)
In real life settings research has high validity because the
findings can be generalised to other similar situations.
Therefore, more likely to be relevant to EWT where there are
real consequences/emotional impact in real life which do not
occur in laboratory investigations.
Demand characteristics may be shown in lab exps – less likely
in real world.
NOT advantages/disadvantages of general lab or real world
research.
1 mark for – ‘lack ecological validity’.
2-3 marks for some elaboration as above.

18. L/O:
To be able to explain how the cognitive interview differs
from a standard interview.

20. Evaluation
1. Outline one strength of the cognitive interview?
2. Outline one weakness of cognitive interview?
Also recap:
3. Outline one strength of questionnaires as a research
method?
4. Outline one weakness of questionnaires as a research
method?
5. Outline one strength of interviews as a research method?
6. Outline one weakness of interviews as a research
method?

21. Self - Study
1. Remind yourself of the MEAN, MEDIAN and
MODE (pages 46-47 textbook).
2. Use the self-study guide to recap and fill in any
gaps in your notes about the Cognitive Interview
(pg.50 + Apply Your Knowledge qu).
Due Monday 3rd December.