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The cognitive interview: does it successfully avoid the dangers of forensic hypnosis?
Wayne G Whitehouse1, Emily Carota Orne, David F Dinges
1Unit for Experimental Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. wayne.whitehouse@temple.edu
The American Journal of Psychology
|July 2, 2005
Summary
Hypnosis interviews yielded more new information than cognitive interviews or repeated recall. However, differences were due to reporting criteria, not memory access, and hypnotizable individuals recalled more errors with hypnosis and cognitive interviews.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Forensic Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Eyewitness memory is crucial in legal settings.
- Interview techniques aim to maximize accurate recall while minimizing errors.
- Hypnosis and cognitive interview are established memory-enhancement techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of hypnosis (HYP), cognitive interview (CI), and motivated, repeated recall (MRR) in enhancing eyewitness recall.
- To investigate whether observed differences in recall are due to memory accessibility or reporting criteria.
- To examine the relationship between hypnotizability and the accuracy of recalled information.
Main Methods:
- 72 undergraduates viewed a simulated bank robbery.
- Participants were interviewed using HYP, CI, or MRR.
- A forced interrogatory recall test was administered to assess report criterion differences.
- Hypnotic ability was measured and correlated with recall accuracy.
Main Results:
- Hypnosis interviews produced more new information than CI or MRR.
- No differences in recall were found in the forced interrogatory test, suggesting report criterion differences.
- Hypnotizability correlated with increased erroneous and confabulatory recall in HYP and CI conditions.
Conclusions:
- Hypnosis may increase information yield but also confabulation, especially in hypnotizable individuals.
- Cognitive interview may share hypnotic-like properties for hypnotizable participants.
- Interview techniques should consider potential trade-offs between information quantity and accuracy.