The Cognitive Interview: Improving Recall and Reducing Misinformation Among Arab Children

Abstract

It is well documented that the cognitive interview (CI) is a method of improving children’s recall, thereby limiting misinformation. Despite the popularity of the CI in Western societies, it is yet to be tested with native Arab children. The purpose of this study is to examine the usefulness, among Arab children, of the CI compared to a control interview (structured interview [SI]). The study is based on 80 Arabic children, aged 9–12 years, and the sample was stratified based on age and gender. Children viewed a short video clip of a theft crime, followed by a narrative containing misinformation; interviews were conducted 2 to 16 days following the stimuli. The CI led to significantly more correct details, and was shown to limit misinformation compared to the SI. Moreover, the CI led to a higher number of incorrect and confabulated details. The results also showed significant effects of age and delay (interval between scene and interview) on memory recall. Overall, it was concluded that the CI is a transferable technique to Arab children. However, careful consideration should be given to the difficulty of the two CI instructions (Change Perspective and Change Order) as well as culture-related characteristics.