Hypnotic Interview Essay

The law enforcement community has had a longstanding interest in the development of techniques to increase accuracy and detail of reports by eyewitnesses and victims (Whitehouse et al. 2005). There are a number of advocates for the technique of hypnosis. However, it is difficult to prove the claims of success given that the criteria for determining how helpful hypnosis was is subjectively determined and vary from case to case. Hypnosis is associated with increased overall production (that may be inaccurate) rather than a selective enhancement of correct recall (Whitehouse et al. 2005). Many controlled studies found hypnosis to have no unique properties and often yields less accurate information (Whitehouse et al. 2005).

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2011). Hypnotic interviewing has been replaced by an alternative investigative interviewing called the cognitive interview. When used appropriately, the cognitive interview does not excessively influence incorrect responses and susceptibility to leading questions (Wagstaff et al. 2011). Applying hypnotic methods may help create relaxed and passive mode, which may help facilitate memory for certain kinds of material. Creating this atmosphere may help the client remember a face (Wagstaff et al. 2011). Components of hypnosis, such as eye closure, may help to reduce the distractions and aid with the production of visual and auditory imagery. According to Wagstaff et al. (2011), very brief focused meditation technique combined with eye closure may significantly enhance memory for both auditory and visual material without increased errors (Wagstaff et al. 2011). This may potentially provide a practical and reliable alternative to the longer and time consuming method of the cognitive interview. Although it may be useful to use the hypnotic methods as a brief memory facilitator for police procedures, it is important to note that it is less effective than a full cognitive interview