Showing papers in "Psychology Crime & Law in 1999"
TL;DR: In this paper, a meta-analysis was performed on the effects of cognitive interviews on correct and incorrect recall, and it was found that the accuracy rates were almost identical in both types of interviews (85% for the cognitive interview and 82% for standard interviews, respectively).
Abstract: A meta-analysis was performed on the effects of the cognitive interview on correct and incorrect recall. The database comprised 42 studies with 55 individual comparisons involving nearly 2500 interviewees. A strong overall effect size was found for the increase of correctly recalled details with the cognitive interview compared to a control interview (d = 0.87). The overall effect size for the increase in incorrect details, although considerably smaller, was also significant toward the cognitive interview (d = 0.28). However, the accuracy rates (proportion of correct details relative to the total amount of details reported) were almost identical in both types of interview (85% for the cognitive interview and 82% for standard interviews, respectively). Taking methodological factors into consideration it was found that effect sizes for correct details were larger if staged events were used as the to-be-remembered episode (as compared to video films) and if the interviewees actively participated in ...
311 citations
TL;DR: For example, this article found that trained officers were significantly more likely to use instructions to mentally reinstate context, use different orders, change perspectives and imagery, while untrained officers were less likely to do so.
Abstract: The cognitive interview has been shown to have the potential to enhance witness recall. Consequently, it has been adopted by all police forces in England and Wales. The present paper surveyed 96 police officers trained in the cognitive interview and 65 untrained police officers, using a questionnaire. Officers rated how frequently they used and how useful they found components of the cognitive interview. Trained officers were significantly more likely to use instructions to mentally reinstate context, use different orders, change perspectives and imagery. Amongst trained officers there was a consensus that some components of the cognitive interview were used more frequently and were believed to be more useful than others. Rated as most useful and most frequently used were establish rapport, report everything, encourage concentration, witness compatible questioning, and mental reinstatement of context. Rated as less useful and less frequently used were recall in different orders, imagery, change p...
150 citations
TL;DR: The results of a meta-analysis to determine which treatments are more effective in reducing on recidivism rates are presented in this paper, which shows that behavioural and cognitive-behaviourd techniques were most beneficial in reducing recidi...
Abstract: Meta-analyses have examined the effectiveness of different treatment techniques on delin-quent and criminal behaviour in America and Europe. In one of the last meta-analyses, that integrated the results of programmes applied in European countries (Redondo, Garrido, and Sanchez-Meca, 1997), the global effect size obtained for all treatment and effectiveness measures (Psychological factors, education, etc.) was d = 0.3039 (r = 0.15). In general, it muld be interpreted that treatment groups surpassed controls by 15%, On this work, the results of a meta-analysis to determine which treatments are more effective in reducing on recidivism rates are presented. A total of 32 European studies that evaluated recidivism during an average follow-up period of two years obtained a global Effect size of d = 0.243 (r = 0.12), equivalent to a 12% reduction in recidivism. Regarding the differential influence of treatment models, behavioural and cognitive-behaviourd techniques were most beneficial in reducing recidi...
128 citations
TL;DR: It is suggested that the cognitive interview could be helpful in assisting people with learning disabilities to provide informatio...
Abstract: Forty-seven adults with mild learning disabilities (mild intellectual disabilities) attending day-centres and thirty-eight adults from the general population viewed a videorecording of an accident. A day later the participants were interviewed using either a cognitive interview (CI) or a structured interview (SI, a control interview). Compared with their counterparts with learning disabilities, adults from the general population recalled more correct information and made fewer confabulations about persons and objects. Nevertheless, the type of interview had an impact. For both groups, the CI was more effective than the SI in enhancing recall although, for the ‘learning disabilities’ group, the CI also produced a disproportionate increase in the reporting of person confabulations. All the same, the accuracy ratios were similar across interview types (80% for the CI and 82% for the SI). It is suggested that the CI could be helpful in assisting people with learning disabilities to provide informatio...
87 citations
TL;DR: The authors found that lie complexity has an impact on the occurrence of speech disturbances during deception and that truth tellers would include more details in their recall and would raise more doubts about their own memory than liars.
Abstract: The aim of the present experiment was to explain contradictory findings in the relation ship between speech disturbances and deception. We hypothesized that lie complexity would have an impact on the occurrence of speech disturbances during deception. We expected liars to use fewer speech disturbances (compared to truth tellers) when the lie is easy but to make more speech disturbances when the lie requires a lot of mental effort. We further hypothesized that truth tellers would include more details in their recall and would raise more doubts about their own memory than liars. Forty participants were shown a video and were requested to lie about some aspects of the video and tell the truth about other aspects of the video. One lie (giving an inaccurate description of the appearance of one of the people in the video) was easy to fabricate, another lie (making up a reason why the person in the video wanted to buy satellite television) was difficult to fabricate. The results generally supported the ...
73 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the conceptualization and development of a measure of egoism -the excessive concern with one's own pleasure or advantage at the expense of community well-being -was described.
Abstract: The conceptualization and development of a measure of egoism - the excessive concern with one's own pleasure or advantage at the expense of community well-being - is described. Results from a series of reliability studies indicated that the Egoism Scale exhibited satisfactory internal consistency in separate samples totalling approximately 2,000 respondents in two countries as well as a test-retest correlation of 0.73 over a 9-month interval for a representative sample of the Dutch population. Studies carried out with Dutch university students found that egoism shared no more than moderate common variance with any of the “Big Five” personality factors, Eysenck's Psychoticism factor, the Psychopathic Deviate or the Cynicism scales of the MMPl 2 as well as a nonsignificant correlation with a social desirability measure. In addition, the hypothesized pattern of cross-national and gender differences in egoism scores obtained for comparable samples of Dutch and American university students and, within...
70 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the effectiveness of various components of the Cognitive Interview (CI), the relationship between the CI and other interviewing methods such as the Guided Memory Interview, the Standard Interview, and Structured Interview, different measures of memory performance and the effect of training quality on interviewer performance.
Abstract: In this critique of the Cognitive Interview (CI), discussion is organized around four themes; (1) the effectiveness of various components of the CI, (2) the relationship between the CI and other interviewing methods such as the Guided Memory Interview, the Standard Interview, and the Structured Interview, (3) different measures of memory performance and (4) the effect of training quality on interviewer performance. We comment on some of the theoretical and methodological issues to be considered in CI research and the practical considerations relating to the use of the CI in the field.
68 citations
TL;DR: The Cognitive Interview (CI) was compared with a standard interview protocol (based on the National Transportation Safety Board) to interview witnesses of a videotaped traffic accident as mentioned in this paper, and the CI elicited approximately 70% more correct facts than did the standard interview, and at equivalent accuracy rates, at both the first interview and the second interview.
Abstract: The Cognitive Interview (CI) was compared with a standard interview protocol (based on the National Transportation Safety Board) to interview witnesses of a videotaped traffic accident. Witnesses were tested twice, five minutes after viewing the accident and again two weeks later. The CI elicited approximately 70% more correct facts than did the standard interview, and at equivalent accuracy rates, at both the first interview and the second interview. The double-testing procedure generated novel data patterns that may allow us to identify incorrect recollections; other results lead us to question some legal assumptions about the diagnosticity of inconsistent recollections.
63 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of various forms of victim impact evidence on mock jurors in a capital case were assessed, and it was found that different forms of impact evidence exert subtle and differential influences on jurors' sentiments about the victim and the victi...
Abstract: Victims of crime are frequently given the opportunity to describe the impact of that crime at the sentencing hearings of their offenders. This information (typically referred to as victim impact evidence) may convey the physical, psychological, and/or financial impact of the crime on victims or survivors, victims' or survivors' opinions about the crime and the offender, and, in murder cases, information about the personal qualities of the deceased. There is heated debate about the use of victim impact statements in capital cases: proponents reason that jurors should know the extent of the harm caused by the offender; critics argue that this evidence infuses the trial with highly emotional and prejudicial information. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of various forms of victim impact evidence on mock jurors in a capital case. Results showed that different forms of victim impact evidence exert subtle and differential influences on jurors' sentiments about the victim and the victi...
43 citations
TL;DR: The Cognitive Interview (CI) was devised to improve eyewitnesses' memory by using mnemonic strategies which ask witnesses to think about what happened and encourage them to make as many retrieval attempts as possible.
Abstract: In the legal context, the elicitation of complete and accurate statements from witnesses and victims is essential. The Cognitive Interview (CI) was devised to improve eyewitnesses' memory by using mnemonic strategies which ask witnesses to think about what happened and encourage them to make as many retrieval attempts as possible. However, no known study has experimentally examined whether (or not) the CI superiority effect is something more than merely asking a witness to retrieve information four times. The aim of this study was to compare the recall obtained by means of the CI - in which mnemonics are used - to that obtained as a result of asking subjects to make a multiple free recall task - without using mnemonics - in a single interview session. It was expected that significant differences would still exist. Results confirmed this hypothesis.
32 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors reviewed the evolution of the cognitive interview (CI) from the original package of memoryenhancing techniques through to the revised (or enhanced) CI, and the cognitive approach now taught to police officers in UK.
Abstract: The evolution of the cognitive interview (CI) is reviewed from the original package of memory-enhancing techniques through to the revised (or enhanced) CI, and the cognitive approach now taught to police officers in UK. Many officers are reluctant to apply CI, particularly to traumatised victims. The traumatising effects of crime are examined in terms of immediate response and the potential for an acute stress response and post-traumatic stress disorder, with subsequent re-experiencing of dissociated traumatic memories in the form of intrusive, unwanted imagery. Traumatic memories are described, particularly their accuracy, detail and persistence. The therapeutic potential of prolonged experience of distress while narrating the content of traumatic imagery is explained. An approach to maximising the disclosure of dissociated detail - spaced cognitive interviewing (SCI) - is described and case material presented illustrating its forensic and therapeutic application. The practice and practical impl...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a cognitive interview with the cognitive interview and provide a commentary on recent research with cognitive interviews. Psychology, Crime & Law: Vol. 5, No. 1-2, pp. 197-202.
Abstract: (1999). Commentary on recent research with the cognitive interview. Psychology, Crime & Law: Vol. 5, No. 1-2, pp. 197-202.
TL;DR: In this paper, the reinstatement of encoding context aid eyewitness identification was reported in which participants were asked to identify, from both a Blank and a Filled lineup, a target seen 1-week or 3-months earlier in a staged live interaction.
Abstract: Can reinstatement of encoding context aid eyewitness identification? Two experiments are reported in which participants were asked to identify, from both a Blank and a Filled lineup, a target seen 1-week (Experiment 1) or 3-months (Experiment 2) earlier in a staged live interaction. Identifications were made following either a no context reinstatement (NCR), a CI-type reinstate context (CI-CR), a mental and physical (M&PCR) context reinstatement or a multiple reinstatement of context (Multi-CR) manipulation. In Experiment 1 in the Blank lineup condition, correct rejection (CR) and false identification (FID) rates did not differ between the four context manipulation conditions. However, within the different conditions only Multi-CR showed a significant difference between CR and FID. In the Filled lineup condition, neither correct identification (CID), FID, nor non-identification (NID) rates differed between context conditions. Within the four context conditions only Multi-CR produced significantly...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors reviewed evidence from two sources, based on studies of offender groups and that based on those follow-up studies of clinically defined samples of head injury victims which have reported offence related outcomes.
Abstract: Structural damage or abnormality of the brain may be related to offending. What is known about the consequences of lesions to the frontal and temporal lobes and of the results of head injury, suggests psychological changes that might well enhance the risk of offending, and in particular violent offending. Evidence from two sources is reviewed, that based on studies of offender groups and that based on those follow-up studies of clinically defined samples of head injury victims which have reported offence related outcomes. Despite some methodological limitations, the balance of evidence is that frontal damage and possibly temporal lobe damage is related to offending, particularly violent offending, and that head injury can act to precipitate offence related behaviour. It is suggested that future research needs to concentrate more on the factors that mediate the link between brain damage and offending behaviour.
TL;DR: In this article, Cognitive Interviews (CI) and Standard police interviews of 7-year old children who were attempting to describe an earlier incident of playing a game of Simon Says were compared.
Abstract: Ninety-one college subjects listened to Cognitive Interviews (CI) and Standard police interviews of 7-year old children who were attempting to describe an earlier incident of playing a game of Simon Says. The subjects evaluated the witness's credibility and also the interviewer's manipulativeness. The perceived credibility of the witness was not affected by the type of interview, i.e., the CI did not render the witness unduly credible. In addition, the CI interviewer was judged to be less manipulative than the Standard police interviewer. These results were discussed in light of some potential legal concerns about using the CI.
TL;DR: In this article, a complementary contribution of psychology is proposed for the study of judicial sentencing, which is to help judges develop sentencing policy and to represent this policy numerically in a way that is faithful to the structure of judicial thought.
Abstract: Studies of the relationship between case facts and judicial sentences are reviewed in the light of Konecni and Ebbesen's pioneering contribution. Traditionally, sentencing policy is investigated using archival data; it is assumed that judges have formulated a compre-hensive policy, it has an analytic character, and judges' decision strategies can be represented satisfactorily by a standard statistical model. While the value of this research is acknowledged, the first and third assumptions are challenged. In view of this a complementary contribution of psychology is proposed for the study of judicial sentencing. It is to help judges develop sentencing policy and to represent this policy numerically in a way that is faithful to the structure of judicial thought. This second orientation has implications for method, requiring, inter alia, a data base of verbal protocols, sentences imposed for fictitious cases, and an alternative approach to modelling decision making.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the perceived quality of the descriptions of the perpetrators from George's study and compared the quality of such descriptions, as judged by police officers, across four interview groups before and after training.
Abstract: The quantity and quality of descriptive information about perpetrators makes an important impact on criminal investigations. For over a decade, the Cognitive Interview (CI) technique has received increasing research attention as a method to improve the accuracy and completeness of eyewitness recall, and such research has led to its incorporation into police training programmes. Although the CI has heen reported to improve both the quantity and quality of resultant information, none of the previous studies has measured information quality from a police perspective. The study reported here is an extension of that of George (1991) and investigates the perceived quality of the descriptions of perpetrators from George's study. The quality of such descriptions, as judged by police officers, is compared across four interview groups before and after training. These interview groups are: untrained (control), CI, Conversation Management (CM) and CI + CM. Three measures of quality are investigated, two rati...
TL;DR: In this article, the accuracy of judgements of traffic speed by comparing audio, visual and audio-visual perception in two experiments was examined, which indicated a low level of accuracy overall.
Abstract: This investigation examined the accuracy of judgements of traffic speed by comparing audio, visual and audio-visual perception in two experiments. In the first study 60 adults estimated the approach speed of a car on video. Five speeds (10,20, 30,40 and 50m.p.h.) were presented. In the second study 37 adults were presented with videos of an approaching car travelling at either 30, 40 or 50m.p.h. and chose the actual speed from five given alternatives. Results indicated a low level of accuracy overall. For the first study extent of error increased in the order audio-visual, visual and auditory. In the second study, no significant effect of perceptual mode was observed for extent of error. In both studies an interaction between speed and perceptual mode was observed for extent of error. Speed was over-estimated in the auditory mode and under-estimated in the visual and audio-visual modes. Findings were discussed in relation to witness capabilities.