Marcus witnessed a crime and was asked to attend the police station for an interview. The crime involved the theft of an expensive motorcycle parked outside a local library in the evening. Marcus was walking towards his own parked car at dusk when he heard the sudden sound of metal shattering and an engine revving, then saw a suspect wearing a helmet with a dark visor riding away on the stolen motorcycle. The police conducted a cognitive interview to obtain detailed evidence from Marcus about the incident.
To what extent would the cognitive interview be effective in gathering accurate information from Marcus about the crime he witnessed? You must make reference to the context in your answer.
Practise Edexcel A Level Psychology Content with exam-style questions for A Level Psychology. 1,059 questions covering Biological explanations of crime, Social explanations of crime, Cognitive and ethical interview techniques, Psychological formulation of offending, Cognitive-behavioural treatment for offenders, Biological treatment for offenders, Factors influencing eye-witness testimony, Factors influencing jury decision-making, Individual differences, and Developmental psychology, matched to the Edexcel A Level Psychology (9PS0) specification and written in Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.
