The Effectiveness of Different Eyewitness Interview Tools in Memory Consolidation for Long-term Access

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of different interviewing tools in consolidating eyewitness memory. This applied research used the post-test with control group design. The population includes all undergraduate students of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Science of the University of Tehran, studying in the academic year 2019-20. Eighty participants (21 males and 59 females) were selected using cluster sampling and divided into four groups of equal size. First, participants watched a video recording showing a bank robbery. In the second session, they were interviewed using an eyewitness interview tool (no interview session for the control group). In the last session, all participants were examined using a free recall task. Data were analyzed using MANOVA in SPSS-23 software. The results indicated no significant differences between the CI and the self-administered interview groups (SAI) in either the interview session or the delayed recall task. Participants in the structured interview group recalled significantly fewer details in the first interview session than did the CI and SAI groups. However, this significant difference was only found between the CI and SI groups in the delayed recall session. Thus, the results suggest that early recall can help consolidate witnesses' memory and help them recall more information in later recall attempts.

Keywords

• memory consolidation
• eyewitness
• self-administered interview
• cognitive interview