Who? What? When? Using a timeline technique to facilitate recall of a complex event.

Abstract

Accurately recalling a complex multi-actor incident presents witnesses with a cognitively demanding retrieval task. Given the important role played by temporal context in the retrieval process, the current research tests an innovative timeline technique to elicit information about multiple perpetrators and their actions. Adopting a standard mock witness paradigm, participants were required to provide an account of a witnessed event. In Experiment 1, the timeline technique facilitated the reporting of more correct details than a free recall, immediately and at a two-week retention interval, at no cost to accuracy. Accounts provided using the timeline technique included more correct information about perpetrator specific actions and fewer sequencing errors. Experiment 2 examined which mnemonic components of the timeline technique might account for these effects. The benefits of exploiting memory organization and reducing cognitive constraints on information flow are likely to underpin the apparent timeline advantage.

Facilitating memory‐based lie detection in immediate and delayed interviewing: The role of mnemonics

“…Another technique, making a sketch of the crime scene, compared with standard questioning procedures, has also resulted in a more complete account of an event (Dando, Wilcock, Behnkle, & Milne, ; Dando, Wilcock, & Milne, ). Finally, the event‐line mnemonic technique is based on the timeline interviewing format developed by Hope, Mullis, and Gabbert (), which is related to reproducing temporal context and sequence of actions in an event. The timeline facilitated more correct information than did a free recall (FR) both immediately after an event and after a 2‐week delay (Hope et al, ).…”

“…Finally, the event‐line mnemonic technique is based on the timeline interviewing format developed by Hope, Mullis, and Gabbert (), which is related to reproducing temporal context and sequence of actions in an event. The timeline facilitated more correct information than did a free recall (FR) both immediately after an event and after a 2‐week delay (Hope et al, ). In our study, we positioned CR as a generic mnemonic, which is known as an effective memory‐enhancing technique (Dando et al, ; Emmett, Clifford, & Gwyer, ; Fisher & Geiselman, ).…”

Development of the Reporting Information about Networks and Groups (RING) task: a method for eliciting information from memory about associates, groups, and networks

“…meeting times, locations, content of meetings, plans, resources) are likely to be important. Therefore, it will be important to assess how the RING task integrates with other information elicitation methods for use with cooperative sources, such as the timeline technique (Hope, Mullis, & Gabbert, 2013). The benefits of a talk-aloud protocol while completing the task should also be examined.…”

Memory Errors in Alibi Generation: How an Alibi Can Turn Against Us

“…This strategy may allow suspects to utilize more retrieval cues as they remember what they were doing before and after the time in question – a retrieval strategy that may reduce the reliance on heuristics. One approach may be to ask suspects to construct a timeline for the event in question – an interviewing technique that has been shown to increase information remembered by eyewitnesses (Hope, Mullis & Gabbert, ). Such a tactic would probably need adaptation for alibi evaluation, such as asking about events before and after the crime, and would probably provide more cues for accurate recall, as well as providing the chance for spontaneous corrections.…”