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The Cognitive Interview and its effect on witnesses' confidence

Granhag, PA ; Jonsson, Anna-Carin LU and Allwood, Carl Martin LU (2004) In Psychology, Crime and Law 10(1). p.37-52
Abstract
Today there is ample evidence that the Cognitive Interview (CI) enhances witnesses' memory. However, less is known about how the CI affects eyewitnesses' confidence. To address this shortcoming we conducted a study analyzing how realism in confidence was affected by the CI. All participants (n = 79) were first shown a filmed kidnapping. After 2 weeks we interviewed one-third of the participants according to the guidelines of the CI, one-third according to a Standard Interview (SI), and one-third were not interviewed at all (Control condition). Participants in all three conditions were then asked to answer 45 forced-choice questions, and to give a confidence judgment after each choice. For the 45 questions, no differences in accuracy were... (More)
Today there is ample evidence that the Cognitive Interview (CI) enhances witnesses' memory. However, less is known about how the CI affects eyewitnesses' confidence. To address this shortcoming we conducted a study analyzing how realism in confidence was affected by the CI. All participants (n = 79) were first shown a filmed kidnapping. After 2 weeks we interviewed one-third of the participants according to the guidelines of the CI, one-third according to a Standard Interview (SI), and one-third were not interviewed at all (Control condition). Participants in all three conditions were then asked to answer 45 forced-choice questions, and to give a confidence judgment after each choice. For the 45 questions, no differences in accuracy were found between the three conditions. Confidence was higher in the CI and SI conditions, compared with the Control condition. CI and SI did not differ in metacognitive realism but both showed lower realism compared with the Control condition, although only CI significantly so. The results indicate that the inflation in confidence is more likely to be explained in terms of a reiteration effect, than as a consequence of the particular mnemonics characterizing the CI (e.g. "mental reinstatement of context"). In sum, CI does not seem to impair (or improve) the realism in witnesses' confidence, and does not inflate confidence in erroneous recall, compared to a SI. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
reiteration effect, The Cognitive Interview, realism in confidence, calibration
in
Psychology, Crime and Law
volume
10
issue
1
pages
37 - 52
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • wos:000188830700003
  • scopus:0842285899
ISSN
1477-2744
DOI
10.1080/1068316021000030577
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9a9d3f2c-a2b7-4c32-a816-2c3633989a79 (old id 899368)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:28:37
date last changed
2022-01-27 05:37:37
@article{9a9d3f2c-a2b7-4c32-a816-2c3633989a79,
  abstract     = {{Today there is ample evidence that the Cognitive Interview (CI) enhances witnesses' memory. However, less is known about how the CI affects eyewitnesses' confidence. To address this shortcoming we conducted a study analyzing how realism in confidence was affected by the CI. All participants (n = 79) were first shown a filmed kidnapping. After 2 weeks we interviewed one-third of the participants according to the guidelines of the CI, one-third according to a Standard Interview (SI), and one-third were not interviewed at all (Control condition). Participants in all three conditions were then asked to answer 45 forced-choice questions, and to give a confidence judgment after each choice. For the 45 questions, no differences in accuracy were found between the three conditions. Confidence was higher in the CI and SI conditions, compared with the Control condition. CI and SI did not differ in metacognitive realism but both showed lower realism compared with the Control condition, although only CI significantly so. The results indicate that the inflation in confidence is more likely to be explained in terms of a reiteration effect, than as a consequence of the particular mnemonics characterizing the CI (e.g. "mental reinstatement of context"). In sum, CI does not seem to impair (or improve) the realism in witnesses' confidence, and does not inflate confidence in erroneous recall, compared to a SI.}},
  author       = {{Granhag, PA and Jonsson, Anna-Carin and Allwood, Carl Martin}},
  issn         = {{1477-2744}},
  keywords     = {{reiteration effect; The Cognitive Interview; realism in confidence; calibration}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{37--52}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Psychology, Crime and Law}},
  title        = {{The Cognitive Interview and its effect on witnesses' confidence}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1068316021000030577}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/1068316021000030577}},
  volume       = {{10}},
  year         = {{2004}},
}