NCJ Number
210958
Date Published
2005
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This chapter presents findings from three evaluations of police officers’ use of cognitive interviewing strategies during their interactions with suspects and witnesses.
Abstract
The authors worked alongside officers from Australia, Canada, Norway, and the United Kingdom to evaluate their use of cognitive interviewing strategies during their work with witnesses and suspects. The sample sizes, particularly in Norway and Canada, were modest, with the Canadian dataset containing 19 interviews with adult witnesses and the Norwegian dataset containing 11 interviews with children. Data analysis involved dividing the interviews into 10 intervals, each representing 10 percent of the interview’s complete length, in order to standardize the means of comparing the distribution of instructions and of open and closed questions across the interviews. Findings revealed that interviewers’ discourse comprised over 30 percent of the entire talk time, which was higher than suggested, and that interviewers frequently interrupted witnesses. Officers did demonstrate a high use of supportive listening and employed a questioning sequence that was compatible with the witness’s interpretation of the event. Results of analyses of interview transcripts are also presented, which reveal significant use of a variety of interviewing strategies, such as truth tactics and confession tactics. Overall, the data suggest that police tend to view the suspect or witness interview as an opportunity to gain evidence, rather than the opportunity to gain a confession. Every officer involved with the research agreed that interviewing skills are an important part of police work. Finally, the authors list some of the many unanswered questions concerning police interviewing, such as the effectiveness of an interview plan. Tables, note, references