Language crimes and the cognitive interview: testing its efficacy in retrieving a conversational event

Abstract

Frequently, the only available evidence in 'language crimes' (e.g. verbal sexual harassment) is witness statements about criminal conversations. However, previous research has showed that recall for sentences in conversation is very poor. The main aim of this research was to find out how to solve this problem. The cognitive interview (CI) is an interview technique which has shown to be more effective in recalling criminal episodes than a comparison interview. In addition, our experience in research on the CI had been highly satisfactory; therefore, we decided to use the CI as a tool in the research on memory for conversation, so far ignored. Thus, this study tested, for the first time, whether the CI would be also successful in obtaining complete and accurate accounts for a criminal conversation. Different forms of correct recall (verbatim/gist) of the verbal information as well as different types of errors (distortions/fabrications) were also examined. It was predicted that the CI would elicit more correct information without an increase in errors than a comparison interview (i.e. a free-recall protocol). Results confirmed these hypotheses. Interpretations of the overall findings are offered within the context of theoretical principles concerning the retrieval of information from memory.

How Effective is the Enhanced Cognitive Interview when Aiding Recall Retrieval of Older Adults including Memory for Conversation?

“…It was also found that although there was no significant increase in the information recalled for conversation verbatim and conversation person, the CI did significantly increase the amount of conversation gist reported by the participants when compared with the SI. Campos and Alonso‐Quecuty () also found that the CI increased correct conversation gist details; however, they additionally found an increase in correct conversation verbatim details, which was not found in the present study. The discrepancy between the present study and Campos and Alonso‐Quecuty's () study may be explained by the differences in the event used.…”

How Effective is the Cognitive Interview When Used with Adults with Intellectual Disabilities Specifically with Conversation Recall?

“…The observed increased recall of conversation gist information by both adults with and without ID when interviewed using the CI is consistent with and builds upon the works of Campos & Alonso‐Quecuty () and Prescott et al . (), who both used a sample which did not included adults with ID.…”

“…(), who both used a sample which did not included adults with ID. This is important as conversation detail may be the only type of information that can lead to the successful prosecution of non‐physical crimes, such as verbal abuse (Campos & Alonso‐Quecuty ). More importantly, these results suggest that appropriate questioning of adults with ID can enhance their recall of this type of investigatively important information, therefore leading them to be considered valuable witnesses.…”

Enhancing Adults' and Children’s Earwitness Memory: Examining Three Types of Interviews

“…In the earwitness studies that have found a positive effect the critical events have been quite long in duration, 7 minutes (Memon & Yarmey, 1999) and 15 minutes respectively (Campos & Alonso-Quecuty, 2008).…”