Improving the accuracy of eyewitness testimony, including the use of the cognitive interview
Psychologists have developed interviewing techniques to help witnesses remember crime events more accurately. The most researched method is the cognitive interview, which uses memory principles to retrieve fuller, more reliable accounts.
Real World
After the 2005 London bombings, Metropolitan Police investigators used cognitive interview techniques — including mental reinstatement of context and reporting everything — with over 3,000 witnesses, which helped produce significantly more detailed and accurate accounts than standard police questioning.
Exam Focus
Name all four CI techniques and briefly explain each — partial lists lose marks even if the description of one technique is detailed.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
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