Améliorer le rappel des individus âgés de 60 ans et plus à l’aide de l’entretien cognitif : une revue et méta-analyse

Abstract

It is often considered that older adults are unreliable witnesses, and this perception is partially supported by research that shows their testimonies tend to be less detailed than those of younger witnesses. Cognitive interviewing is an examination technique based on recall strategies developed in the field of cognitive sciences. Several recent studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of cognitive interviewing in samples of young adults. However, research on the use of cognitive interviewing with older witnesses is recent and still under development. The present article summarizes studies addressing the effectiveness of cognitive interviewing with older adults and provides a meta-analysis of previously published evidence. This meta-analysis includes seven studies that examined the performance of older participants and compared the effectiveness of cognitive interviewing to that obtained through other recall techniques. Results show an increase in the number of correct details recalled when cognitive interviewing is used. However, the current data do not allow for a valid conclusion on the number of incorrect details or on the accuracy of recall. Strengths and weaknesses of studies published to date are discussed in order to support the development of research in this field.