NCJ Number
150559
Date Published
1993
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Because various research studies indicate that the cognitive interview (CI) is not necessarily effective in enhancing the recall of child witnesses, the current study was conducted to determine if the CI was effective, if children could use various mnemonic techniques, and if the CI provided information different from that of standard interview (SI) techniques.
Abstract
A CI protocol was developed drawing on four mnemonic techniques. The SI protocol differed from the CI protocol only in the use of mnemonics. About 30 children aged 6 and 7 years were selected to participate in the study. They were videotaped while taking vision tests at their schools and were later interviewed about the event. Phase 1 and Phase 2 interviews, at 2 days and 6 weeks, respectively, revealed no significant differences in recall accuracy rates, although Phase 1 interviews took significantly longer than Phase 2 interviews. More subjective information was recalled in Phase 1 than in Phase 2, but no significant differences were observed in the types of information elicited by CI and SI interviews, with the exception of information about object and people locations. Qualitative differences were found in interview transcripts which suggested that not all children understood and effectively used CI techniques. Researchers determined that children may have reinstated context even when instructed not to simply because they were tested in a familiar setting. Further study is recommended to develop a better understanding of how children's prior knowledge and the interview context influence information retrieval from memory and reporting of a given event. 32 references and 2 tables