Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2025
09:49
Holistic Facial Composite Creation and Subsequent Video Line-up Eyewitness Identification Paradigm
Published on: December 24, 2015
14.2K
How intelligence interviewees mentally identify relevant information
David A Neequaye1, Alexandra Lorson2
1Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden.
Royal Society Open Science
|August 18, 2023
Summary
Interviewees prioritize cooperation over interviewer goals when deciding what information to disclose. Their disposition, whether cooperative or resistant, significantly impacts information sharing more than perceived interviewer objectives.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Information Science
- Interviewing Techniques
Background:
- Understanding how individuals process and disclose information during interviews is crucial for effective intelligence gathering.
- Interviewee's mental models of interviewer objectives influence information organization and disclosure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how interviewees mentally identify relevant information based on interviewer questioning.
- To examine the influence of interviewer question specificity and interviewee disposition on information disclosure.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted with participants acting as cooperative or resistant informants.
- Interviewers used either specific or ambiguous questions to solicit information.
- Study 1 focused on information identification, while Study 2 assessed information disclosure.
Main Results:
- Interviewee disposition (cooperative vs. resistant) had a stronger impact on disclosure than perceived interviewer objectives.
- Contrary to hypotheses, interviewees generally assumed interviewers desired complete details, regardless of question specificity.
- Mental designation of information items was influenced by perceived interviewer objectives, but disposition played a larger role in actual disclosure.
Conclusions:
- Interviewee disposition is a primary driver of information disclosure in intelligence interviews.
- The assumption that interviewers seek comprehensive details may override the impact of question specificity on information organization.
- Future research should further explore the interplay between interviewee mindset, questioning strategies, and information disclosure dynamics.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Cognitivism
1.4K
Cognitive psychology emerged as a significant field in the mid-20th century. It focused on understanding humans' internal mental processes. This approach emphasizes how people perceive, remember, think, and solve problems—elements critical to human cognition.
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process...
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process...
1.4K
01:30Information Processing Approach
76
The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is...
76
01:20Introduction to Cognitive Psychology
525
Cognitive psychology is the field of psychology dedicated to examining how people think. It attempts to explain how and why we think the way we do by studying the interactions among human thinking, emotion, creativity, language, and problem-solving, as well as other cognitive processes. Cognitive psychology studies how information is processed and manipulated in remembering, thinking, and knowing.
This field emerged in the mid-20th century, following a period dominated by behaviorism, which...
This field emerged in the mid-20th century, following a period dominated by behaviorism, which...
525
01:31Confirmation Biases
5.5K
The confirmation bias is the tendency to focus on information that confirms our existing beliefs and ignore information that is inconsistent with our expectations. For example, if you think that your professor is not very nice, you notice all of the instances of rude behavior exhibited by the professor while ignoring the countless pleasant interactions he is involved in on a daily basis. Have you ever fallen prey to the confirmation bias, either as the source or target of such bias?
5.5K
01:26Metacognition
199
Metacognition is a conscious process where individuals are aware of their cognitive and executive processes, such as planning before solving a problem or self-monitoring during reading. For instance, a writer may need help with composing a piece. The situation involves a writer who is working on a piece of writing, but while doing so, they realize that something is missing. They notice that their characters lack depth or details. This realization occurs because the writer is reflecting on their...
199
01:12Retrieval
135
Retrieval is the process of getting information out of memory storage and back into conscious awareness. This ability is essential for daily tasks like brushing hair and teeth, driving to work, and performing job duties. Retrieval occurs in three ways: recall, recognition, and relearning.
Recall involves accessing information without cues, such as during an essay test, where individuals must retrieve facts and concepts from memory unaided. Another example is remembering the name of a colleague...
Recall involves accessing information without cues, such as during an essay test, where individuals must retrieve facts and concepts from memory unaided. Another example is remembering the name of a colleague...
135