Dominic Allen
Used to collect veracious eyewitness testimony, investigative interviews (e.g. the Cognitive Interview; CI) are often time- and labour-intensive. Self-report interviews (e.g. the Self-Administered Interview©; SAI©) have helped ease these constraints. This research examines the efficacy of online-based adaptions of these interviews (A-CI and A-SAI) and a novel combination of both. The effect of interviewer and perpetrator ethnicity on eyewitness recall are also examined. In an online study, 214 participants viewed a mock crime video depicting either a South Asian or Caucasian perpetrator. Participants then completed one of the three interviews, conducted by an avatar, representing a South Asian or Caucasian police officer. The Combined Interview elicited the most correct information, followed by the A-SAI©, then the A-CI. The Combined Interview and A-SAI© generated more inaccurate recall than the A-CI. However, no differences in accuracy rate were found between the three interviews. Thus, the Combined Interview represented the most efficacious self-report investigative interview, eliciting a greater quantity of eyewitness information without sacrificing overall accuracy. Neither perpetrator nor interviewer ethnicity affected recall, suggesting these factors do not influence online self-report investigative interviews. These findings have implications for policing in England and Wales, as the Combined Interview surpassed currently utilised investigative interviewing techniques.
Dominic Allen
Thank you very much for your interest and for reading my poster! I'd like to thank my supervisor, Dr Sophie Nightingale, for her consistent support and guidance. Thanks also to Isabel Paniagua-Coleman, who co-created this research with me and without whom this project would not be the same.
