ewt the cognitive interview

Parents evening

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

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!

The Cognitive 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?

L/Os: 1. To be able to describe

the four techniques used in cognitive interviews.

2. To be able to explain how the cognitive interview differs from a standard interview.

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.

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.

L/Os: To be able to describe the four techniques used in cognitive interviews.

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.

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).

L/Os: To be able to describe the four techniques used in cognitive interviews.

Four techniques:1. Reinstate the contextPrinciple: 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.

L/Os: To be able to describe the four techniques used in cognitive interviews.

Four techniques:2. Change sequencePrinciple: 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.

L/Os: To be able to describe the four techniques used in cognitive interviews.

Four techniques:3. Change perspectivePrinciple: 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.

L/Os: To be able to describe the four techniques used in cognitive interviews.

Four techniques:4. Report everythingPrinciple: 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.

L/Os: To be able to describe the four techniques used in cognitive interviews.

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.

Complete this exam question – IDENTIFY AND

EXPLAIN.

Question 1AO1 = 6 marks Accurate explanation of each techniqueThe 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.

HOW DID YOU DO?

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

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.

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.

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

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?

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.