The effect of individual differences on the cognitive processes of a witness during interrogation

Abstract

The article presents an analysis of the different existing conceptions of interrogation and, at the same time, indicates the ambiguity of approaches to the examination of witnesses according to the type of crime, the body conducting the investigation and the tactics used. The study explores the effect of individual differences on the cognitive processes of witnesses in a simulated interrogation. The authors conducted a survey using the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) method. The groups of witnesses are divided not by the types of temperament per se but according to the set of temperamental characteristics (introversion and extraversion; neuroticism) and controlling the sincerity of the interviewees during the test, which significantly improves the reliability of the conclusions (Eysenck Personality Inventory). Finally, the study experimentally demonstrates that the speed of the mental reactions of the witnesses is not uniform and varies according to their temperamental characteristics. This gives reason to affirm the need to adapt to different groups of witnesses before and during their interrogation, giving an account of the peculiarities of their perception and processing of information.