Eyewitness memory for person, object and action information is mediated by interview environment and the presence or absence of rapport

Abstract

Purpose Obtaining accurate and reliable information from witnesses and victims of crime is essential for guiding criminal investigations and for the successful prosecution of offenders and beyond. Here, the purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of prosocial rapport behaviours and retrieval environment on mock eyewitness memory with an emphasis on the qualitative nature of information recalled in terms of persons, actions, objects and surroundings. Design/methodology/approach One hundred participants from the general population took part in mock witness research using a 2 (Environment: face-to-face; virtual) × 2 (Rapport: present; absent) design. Participants individually viewed an event depicting a fight in a bar and were then interviewed 48 h later according to condition. Findings Rapport and environment variously emerged as impactful, resulting in significant improvements in correct recall of persons, actions and object information when rapport was present and in virtual environments (VEs) when communicating via avatars. In many instances, the benefits of rapport and environment were additive, but not always. Surroundings information remained consistent across all conditions. Erroneous recall was extremely susceptible to inflation in face-to-face interviews when rapport was absent, in some instances increasing by over 100%. However, virtual interview spaces appeared to dilute the negative effects on retrieval when rapport was absent. Research limitations/implications This study concurs with others who have argued that comfortable witnesses are “better” witnesses; however, understanding what “comfort” looks and feels like remains a challenge. Practical implications The results, alongside the findings of others, have implications for applied and social cognition and reveal avenues for future research centred on widening access to justice and professional interview training. Originality/value This study reveals that prosocial rapport behaviours and VEs significantly enhance the accuracy of eyewitness recall. The findings suggest that virtual interviews can mitigate errors in the absence of rapport, offering valuable insights for criminal investigators and legal professionals. This research is crucial for improving witness interviewing techniques, thereby aiding in the accurate prosecution of offenders and broadening access to justice. The paper is valuable for criminal investigators, legal professionals, forensic psychologists and researchers focused on improving the reliability of eyewitness testimonies and interview methodologies.