1. The effects of initial interview quality, and subsequent witness performance
Alessandra Caso
Professor Fiona Gabbert
Dr. Gordon Wright

2. Overview Repeated interviews and memory
Why is it important, and what research focuses on this topic
Study
How I explored repeated interviews in an experimental but ecologically-valid situation
Results
At the first and second recall
Conclusions

3. Repeated interviews
Interviewing the same witness more then once is not unusual:
Emergency call
First account
Investigative interview
We want the witness to retrieve the event exactly as they remember it.
We want to avoid inconsistencies often used to discredit a witness’s credibility

4. Memory in repeated interview
Memory video recorder
Memory for an event retrieved on two different occasions won’t be the same each time.
Inconsistencies in memory reported in repeated recall:
Reminiscence (e.g., Odinot et al., 2013)
Instructions at first recall (e.g., Dudukovic et al.,2004)
Type of memory test at first recall ( e.g., Chan et al., 2009; Hope et al., 2014)

5. Research questions
What is the impact of different types of initial interview on:
The amount of information reported subsequently?
The accuracy of information reported subsequently?
The confidence people have in their memory for what they have seen?

6. Method
Sample: 59 participants (18 – 60, mean age = 21 years) Procedure:
First recall

7. Method
Sample: 59 participants (18 – 60, mean age = 21 years) Procedure:
First recall

8. Best practice (PEACE) interview
Ideal interview based on the PEACE guidelines , featuring -
Rapport-building
Clear instruction and information
Three prompts: location, actions and person description
Three follow up questions:
Tell/ Explain/ Describe questions
Interviewee’s own words as prompts
Witness-led probing of topics
Appropriate structure
Closure

9. Baseline interview
An interview representative of typical errors and deviations from PEACE guidelines
Absence of rapport-building (used by 2/10)
Basic instructions (used by 1/10)
Three prompts: location, actions and person description
1 or 2 interruptions and 3 follow up questions:
Closed and 5 wh- questions (used by 10/10)
Interviewer-led probing of topics (unrelated topics) (used by 9/10)
Introduction on topic area with a closed question (used by 9/10 )
Incorrect and disorganized structure
Absence of closure

10. Best practice interview Baseline interview
Results: correct info
Second recall
First recall * *
Best practice interview Baseline interview

11. Results: incorrect info
First recall
Second recall
Best practice interview Baseline interview

12. Results: accuracy rate
First recall
Second recall
Best practice interview Baseline interview

13. Results: confidence at second recall
M = 67%
M = 73%
M = 56%

14. Conclusions
Good practice interviewing elicits more accurate information from witnesses at first and second recall.
Baseline interviews, incorporating typical errors and deviations from PEACE guidelines, led to more errors.
Witness confidence in memory drops following being interviewed. Slightly more so following a best-practice interview.

15. Thank you!
Questions welcome
Alessandra Caso