Psychology & Law 2000words essay

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SummarySheetCogInterviewing.docx

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Summary Sheet – Cognitive Interviewing

Introduction

· Interviewing

· Cognitive Interviewing

· Four principles

1. Reinstate the context

2. Report everything, no matter how trivial

3. Recount the event in different orders

4. Recount the event from different perspectives

· Research findings

Cognitive Interviewing Step by Step

Step 1:

Introduce yourself, explain purpose of interview, interviewing techniques (memory search)

Step 2:

Open ended narration/free recall. Remain quiet where possible, allow the interviewee to speak. Take plenty of notes.

Step 3:

Follow-up questions; elicit detailed information; if they begin to remember more and go back to free recall, do not interrupt. Try multiple and varied recall.

Step 4:

Review information and check for accuracy, note any new recollections.

Step 5:

Thank them!

Common Misunderstandings

Misunderstanding	Instruction for overcoming misunderstanding
Interviewees (particularly children and people with an intellectual disability) may be hesitant to correct the interviewer because they believe the interviewer knows best.	The interviewer needs to stress that he or she doesn’t not know what has happened and that, if the interviewer says something wrong, the interviewee should correct him or her.
Interviewees often don’t know the level of detail that is required in investigative interviews and may believe that minor descriptive details are not important.	The interviewer should explicitly state that he or she was not there when the alleged event happened and that the more the interviewee can report, the better. Anything even little things that the interviewee does not thing are important, and even if something is not the ‘whole’ answer.
Interviewees may believe that it is acceptable to make up a response.	The interviewee should be encouraged to say ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I don’t remember’ where applicable.
When a question, or part thereof, is repeated in an interview, the interviewee may assume that his or her initial response was incorrect and should be changed.	The interviewer should say, ‘if I ask a question again, it doesn’t mean I want you to change your answer. Just tell me what you remember the best you can.’
The interviewee may believe that it is not acceptable to use slang or swear words or sexually explicit language, even when these words are the only words available to describe the offense.	The interviewee should be informed that he or she can use any words that work, and that the interviewer will not be shocked, angry, or upset.
Sometimes interviewees will say they do not know the answer to a question when, in fact, they do not understand the question.	The interviewer should explicitly state that he or she does not mind rephrasing questions.
Interviewees may not report information if they think the interviewer know the information already.	The interviewer should say, ‘even if you think I already know something, please tell me anyway.’