Improving the accuracy of EWT: Cognitive interview

Fisher and Geiselman (1992)

definition- a method of interviewing eyewitnesses to help the retrieve more accurate memories. It uses four main techniques, all based on well-established psychological knowledge of human memory - report everything, reinstate context, reverse the order and change perspective

Report everything-

include even unimportant details of the even a seemingly trivial details could be important and may trigger other memories

Reinstate the context-

picture the scene and recall how you felt, based upon context-dependent forgetting

Reverse the order-

recall from different chronological order such as back to front as it disrupts expectations of how the event must have happened rather than actually happened and prevevents dishonesty as difficult to recall false accounts in another order.

Change perspective-

recall how incident would look from another persons point of view who was present, this disrupts the influence of expectations and schema 

The enhances cognitive interview (ECI)-

Fisher et al added additional elements like social synamics such as when to establish and relinquish eye contact, reducing anxiety, minimising…