improving the accuracy of eyewitness testimony

eyewitness testimony could be improved if police used better techniques when interviewing witnesses 

techniques should be based on psychological insight into how memory works 

Report everything : No matter how minor the detail, report it

Reinstate the context : Put yourself mentally back in the situation

Reverse the order : Describe what happened from the end back to the beginning.

Change perspective : Put yourself in the shoes of someone else who was there.

Enhanced cognitive interview (ECI) : Focus on the social dynamics of the interaction.

- takes much more time than the standard poilce interview 

- more time is needed to build rapport (relationship) with the witness 

- recquires special training : this means the cognitive interview wont be put to use as effectively as it should