ENHANCING OLDER ADULT EYEWITNESS MEMORY WITH THE COGNITIVE INTERVIEW

Thirty older (m age=71.73 years) and 20 young adults (nz age=21.60 yea rs) viewed a videotape of a simulated crime and were then interviewed with either a Cognitive Interview (CI) or a standard police interview (SI). The older participants were interviewed with either an SI, CI, o r CI that was modified for older people (CI-M). No differences were fo und between the CI and CI-M. The CI elicited more information than the SI, without a reduction in accuracy rate. Moreover, the advantage of the CI over the SI was greater for the older than for the young partic ipants. There were no overall age-related differences. Results are dis cussed in terms of performance of older witnesses and implications for understanding how the CI functions.