The effect of note taking on memory for details in investigative interviews

Across 3 experiments, the effect of different styles of note taking, summary and access to notes was examined for memory for the details contained in a witness interview. In Experiment 1, participants (N = 40) were asked to either take notes or listen as they watched a witness interview. In Experiment 2, participants (N = 84) were asked to either take notes in one of three ways (i.e., conventional, linear, spidergraph) or listen as they watched a witness interview. In Experiment 3, participants (N = 112) were asked to take notes using the conventional or spidergraph method of note taking while they watched a witness interview and were subsequently given an opportunity to review their notes or sit quietly. Participants were then either granted access to their notes during testing or were not provided with their notes. Results of the first two experiments revealed that note takers outperformed listeners. Experiment 2 showed that conventional note takers outperformed those who used organizational styles of note taking, and post-hoc analyses revealed that recall performance was associated with note quality. Experiment 3 showed that participants who had access to their notes performed the best. The implications of these findings for police training programs in investigative interviewing are discussed.