1. Eyewitness Identification Interviewing By: Matt Sullivan

2. Eyewitness Interviewing Is the process of obtaining information from witnesses or victims of a crime or event by police officers, detectives, lawyers, and psychologists. Is the process of obtaining information from witnesses or victims of a crime or event by police officers, detectives, lawyers, and psychologists.

3. Different Types of Interviewing Standard Police Interview Standard Police Interview Hypnosis Hypnosis Cognitive Interview Cognitive Interview

4. Standard Police Interview Involves narrative report of what happened Involves narrative report of what happened Then asks specific questions Then asks specific questions Ask questions in a uniform fashion Ask questions in a uniform fashion Do little to facilitate recall Do little to facilitate recall Poor social dynamics and communication Poor social dynamics and communication

5. Problems with Police Interviews Interrupt witness Interrupt witness Ask too many short-answer questions Ask too many short-answer questions Direct questions—rapid fire Direct questions—rapid fire Inappropriate sequence of questions Inappropriate sequence of questions Ask questions in uniform fashion Ask questions in uniform fashion Mello and Fisher (1996). Mello and Fisher (1996).

6. Other Problems Associated with Standard Police Interview Negative phrasing Negative phrasing Leading questions Leading questions Inappropriate language Inappropriate language Judgmental comments Judgmental comments Have witnesses remain passive Have witnesses remain passive Kiebbell and Wagstaff (1998). Kiebbell and Wagstaff (1998).

7. Hypnotic Interviewing  Establish rapport with eyewitness  Explain what they are going to do  Then hypnotize  Age Regression  Television Technique

8. Hypnosis Positives Hypnosis interviewers have good interpersonal skills Hypnosis interviewers have good interpersonal skills Interviewers also have clinical and psychology backgrounds Interviewers also have clinical and psychology backgrounds Use strategies similar to cognitive interview Use strategies similar to cognitive interview “Relive,” or mentally recreate the event “Relive,” or mentally recreate the event Think about feelings Think about feelings Go through event in different order Go through event in different order

9. Hypnosis Negatives Decrease in accuracy Decrease in accuracy False confidence in incorrect information False confidence in incorrect information Increased suggestibility to leading questions Increased suggestibility to leading questions Misleading post-event information Misleading post-event information Kebbell and Wagstaff (1998). Kebbell and Wagstaff (1998). Hypnosis is looked down upon in legal system Hypnosis is looked down upon in legal system

10. Cognitive Interview  Cognitive interview aims to:  Improve social dynamics between eyewitness and interviewer  Improve both eyewitness and interviewers memory and other cognitive processes  Communication between the interviewer and eyewitness

11. Cognitive Interview Developed by Geiselman et al (1984). Developed by Geiselman et al (1984). Retrieval mnemonics Retrieval mnemonics Encourage using many retrieval paths Encourage using many retrieval paths Recounting events in variety of orders Recounting events in variety of orders Reporting events from different perspectives Reporting events from different perspectives Attempt to increase overlap between encoding and retrieval contexts Attempt to increase overlap between encoding and retrieval contexts Mentally reinstating environment and personal context Mentally reinstating environment and personal context Reporting everything Reporting everything

12. Cognitive Interview Memory retrieval Memory retrieval General cognition General cognition Social dynamics Social dynamics Communication Communication

13. Other Characteristics of Cog Interview Reinstate mental context, report everything Reinstate mental context, report everything Recall events in different order and change perspectives Recall events in different order and change perspectives Using imagery and putting oneself in another's shoes— use with caution: may lead to memory distortion Using imagery and putting oneself in another's shoes— use with caution: may lead to memory distortion Modified cognitive interview Modified cognitive interview Build rapport Build rapport Control is transferred to witness Control is transferred to witness Focused retrieval Focused retrieval

14. Older Adults and Children Social stigma—older peoples’ memory is poor. Social stigma—older peoples’ memory is poor. Age related differences observed under weak cued recall conditions Age related differences observed under weak cued recall conditions Can be reduced or eliminated by appropriate retrieval cues, instructions, or retrieval operations Can be reduced or eliminated by appropriate retrieval cues, instructions, or retrieval operations Police interviews poor on facilitating eyewitness recall Police interviews poor on facilitating eyewitness recall Cognitive interview better for older adults than younger participants Cognitive interview better for older adults than younger participants

15. Older Adults and Children Modified version of cognitive interview Modified version of cognitive interview Eliminated describing event from someone else's perspective Eliminated describing event from someone else's perspective Also, did not have older adults perform story information recall. Also, did not have older adults perform story information recall. Showed no difference between the ci and the ci-m for older participants Showed no difference between the ci and the ci-m for older participants The study produced no overall age-related differences. Mello & Fisher (1995). The study produced no overall age-related differences. Mello & Fisher (1995).

16. Children and Interviewing Repeated interviews are common Repeated interviews are common Children become less accurate with repeated interviews Children become less accurate with repeated interviews Change answers due to question repetition Change answers due to question repetition During cross-examination—kids change answers During cross-examination—kids change answers When a question is unanswerable—make stuff up When a question is unanswerable—make stuff up More likely to change answers to opinion questions More likely to change answers to opinion questions Krahenbuhl & Blades (2005). Krahenbuhl & Blades (2005).

17. Rapport Eyewitness more likely to cooperate with someone who is more supportive Eyewitness more likely to cooperate with someone who is more supportive Creates potential to increase correct responses without increase in incorrect ones Creates potential to increase correct responses without increase in incorrect ones Interviewer attitude can affect the quality and quantity of information Interviewer attitude can affect the quality and quantity of information  Collins and Lincoln (2002) Show understanding, concern, personalize interview, listen actively. Show understanding, concern, personalize interview, listen actively. National Institute of Justice National Institute of Justice

18. National Institute of Justice Pre-Interview Interview witness as soon as possible Interview witness as soon as possible Minimize distractions Minimize distractions Separate witnesses so they do not share stories Separate witnesses so they do not share stories Develop rapport Develop rapport Ask about prior contact with law enforcement Ask about prior contact with law enforcement Do not volunteer specific information about case Do not volunteer specific information about case

19. Sequence of Conducting Interview 1. attempt to minimize witness’s anxiety 1. attempt to minimize witness’s anxiety 2. Establish and maintain rapport 2. Establish and maintain rapport 3. encourage witness to take an active role 3. encourage witness to take an active role 4. request a free narrative 4. request a free narrative 5. ask witness to mentally recreate events 5. ask witness to mentally recreate events 6. ask follow-up questions 6. ask follow-up questions

20. During the Interview Investigator should.. Investigator should.. Ask open ended questions Ask open ended questions Avoid leading questions Avoid leading questions Caution witness not to guess Caution witness not to guess Encourage witness to volunteer information and report all details, even if trivial Encourage witness to volunteer information and report all details, even if trivial Avoid interruptions Avoid interruptions Instruct them to not talk to other witnesses and avoid media Instruct them to not talk to other witnesses and avoid media

21. Resources Collins, R., Lincoln, R., & Frank, R. (2002). The effect of Rapport in Forensic Interviewing. Psychiatry, Psych, &Law, 9, 69-78. Collins, R., Lincoln, R., & Frank, R. (2002). The effect of Rapport in Forensic Interviewing. Psychiatry, Psych, &Law, 9, 69-78. Geiselman et al. (1985). Eyewitness Memory Enhancement in the Police Interview: Cognitive Retrieval Mnemonics Versus Hypnosis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 70, 401-412. Geiselman et al. (1985). Eyewitness Memory Enhancement in the Police Interview: Cognitive Retrieval Mnemonics Versus Hypnosis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 70, 401-412. Kebbell, M., & Wagstaff, G. (1998). Hypnotic Interviewing: The Best Way to Interview Eyewitnesses? Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 16, 115-129. Kebbell, M., & Wagstaff, G. (1998). Hypnotic Interviewing: The Best Way to Interview Eyewitnesses? Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 16, 115-129. Mello, E., & Fisher, R. (1996). Enhancing Older Adult Eyewitness Memory with the Cognitive Interview. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 10, 403-417. Mello, E., & Fisher, R. (1996). Enhancing Older Adult Eyewitness Memory with the Cognitive Interview. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 10, 403-417. Wells, G., et al. (2000). From the Lab to the Police Station A Successful Aplication of Eyewitness Research. American Psychology, 55, 581-598. Wells, G., et al. (2000). From the Lab to the Police Station A Successful Aplication of Eyewitness Research. American Psychology, 55, 581-598. National Institute of Justice. Interviewing, Eyewitness Evidence: A Trainer’s Manual for Law Enforcement. National Institute of Justice. Interviewing, Eyewitness Evidence: A Trainer’s Manual for Law Enforcement.