An evaluation of Home Office extended interviews for police personnel

In this thesis the validity of an Assessment Centre (called 'Extended Interview') operated on behalf of the British police is investigated. This Assessment Centre (AC) is used to select from amongst internal candidates (serving policemen and policewomen) and external candidates (graduates) for places on an accelerated promotion scheme. The literature is reviewed with respect to history, content, structure, reliability, validity, efficiency and usefulness of ACs, and to contextual issues surrounding AC use. The history of, background to and content of police Extended Interviews (Els) is described, and research issues are identified. Internal validation involved regression of overall EI grades on measures from component tests, exercises, interviews and peer nominations. Four samples numbering 126, 73, 86 and 109 were used in this part of the research. External validation involved regression of three types of criteria - training grades, rank attained, and supervisory ratings - on all EI measures. Follow-up periods for job criteria ranged from 7 to 19 years. Three samples, numbering 223, 157 and 86, were used in this part of the research. In subsidiary investigations, supervisory ratings were factor analysed and criteria intercorrelated. For two of the samples involved in the external validition, clinical/judgemental prediction was compared with mechanical (unit-weighted composite) prediction. Main conclusions are that: (1) EI selection decisions were valid, but only for a job performance criterion; relatively low validity overall was interpreted principally in terms of the questionable job relatedness of the EI procedure; (2) Els as a whole had more validity than was reflected in final EI decisions; (3) assessors' use of information was not optimum, tending to over-emphasize subjectively derived information particularly from interviews; and (4) mechanical prediction was superior to clinical/judgemental prediction for five major criteria.

Guilty as charged? The effect of interpreting on interviews with suspects

The ways in which an interpreter affects the processes and, possibly, the outcomes of legal proceedings has formed the focus of much recent research, most of it centred upon courtroom discourse. However comparatively little research has been carried out into the effect of interpreting on the interview with a suspect, despite its 'upstream' position in the legal process and vital importance as evidence. As a speech event in the judicial system, the interview differs radically from that which takes place 'downstream', that is, in court. The interview with suspect represents an entirely different construct, in which a range of registers is apparent, and participants use distinctive means to achieve their institutional goals. When a transcript of an interpreter-mediated interview is read out in court, it is assumed that this is a representation of an event, which is essentially identical to a monolingual interview. This thesis challenges that assumption. Using conservation analytic techniques, it examines data from a corpus of monolingual and interpreter-mediated, taped interviews with suspects, in order to identify potentially significant interactional differences and describe ways in which the interpreter affects the processes and may affect the outcomes of the interview. It is argued that although individually, the interactional differences may appear slight, their cumulative effect is significant, particularly since the primary participants in the event are unaware of the full force of the interpreting effect. Finally, the thesis suggests that the insights provided by linguistic analysis of the interpreting on interviews may provide the basis for training, both for interpreters themselves, and for officers in techniques for interpreter-mediated interviews.

Police interviews with women reporting rape: a critical discourse analysis

This study investigates the discursive patterns of interactions between police interviewers and women reporting rape in significant witness interviews. Data in the form of video recorded interviews were obtained from a UK police force for the purposes of this study. The data are analysed using a multi-method approach, incorporating tools from micro-sociology, Conversation Analysis and Discursive Psychology, to reveal patterns of interactional control, negotiation, and interpretation. The study adopts a critical approach, which is to say that as well as describing discursive patterns, it explains them in light of the discourse processes involved in the production and consumption of police interview talk, and comments on the relationship between these discourse processes and the social context in which they occur. A central focus of the study is how interviewers draw on particular interactional resources to shape interviewees? accounts in particular ways, and this is discussed in relation to the institutional role of the significant witness interview. The discussion is also extended to the ways in which mainstream rape ideology is both reflected in, and maintained by, the discursive choices of participants. The findings of this study indicate that there are a number of issues to be addressed in terms of the training currently offered to officers at Level 2 of the Professionalising Investigation Programme (PIP) (NPIA, 2009) who intend to conduct significant witness interviews. Furthermore, a need is identified to bring the linguistic and discursive processes of negotiation and transformation identified by the study to the attention of the justice system as a whole. This is a particularly pressing need in light of judicial reluctance to replace written witness statements, the current „end product? of significant witness interviews, with the video recorded interview in place of direct examination in cases of rape.

The question of question types in police interviews:a review of the literature from a psychological and linguistic perspective

The past two decades has seen a plethora of papers and academic research conducted on investigative interviews with victims, witnesses and suspected offenders, with a particular focus on questioning techniques and typologies. However, despite this research, there still remain significant discrepancies amongst academic researchers and practitioners over how best to describe types of questions. This article considers the available literature relating to interviews with children and adults from both a psychological and linguistic perspective. In particular, we examine how different types of questions are described, and explore the discrepancies between competing definitions. © 2010, equinox publishing.

Producing facial composite sketches in remote cognitive interviews:a preliminary investigation

Justice systems around the world are increasingly turning to videoconferencing as a means to reduce delays and reduce costs in legal processes. This preliminary research examined whether interviewing a witness remotely - without physical co-presence of the witness and interviewer - could facilitate the production of quality facial composite sketches of suspects. In Study 1, 42 adults briefly viewed a photograph of a face. The next day they participated in Cognitive Interviews with a forensic artist, conducted either face-to-face or remotely via videoconference. In Study 2, 20 adults participated in videoconferenced interviews, and we manipulated the method by which they viewed the developing sketch. In both studies, independent groups of volunteers rated the likeness of the composites to the original photographs. The data suggest that remote interviews elicited effective composites; however, in Study 1 these composites were considered poorer matches to the photographs than were those produced in face-to-face interviews. The differences were small, but significant. Participants perceived several disadvantages to remote interviewing, but also several advantages including less pressure and better concentration. The results of Study 2 suggested that different sketch presentation methods offered different benefits. We propose that remote interviewing could be a useful tool for investigators in certain circumstances. © 2013 Taylor & Francis.

Exploring types and functions of questions in police interviews

There is a proliferation of categorization schemes in the scientific literature that have mostly been developed from psychologists’ understanding of the nature of linguistic interactions. This has a led to problems in defining question types used by interviewers. Based on the principle that the overarching purpose of an interview is to elicit information and that questions can function both as actions in their own right and as vehicles for other actions, a Conversational Analysis approach was used to analyse a small number of police interviews. The analysis produced a different categorization of question types and, in particular, the conversational turns fell into two functional types: (i) Topic Initiation Questions and (ii) Topic Facilitation Questions. We argue that forensic interviewing requires a switch of focus from the ‘words’ used by interviewers in question types to the ‘function’ of conversational turns within interviews.

The discursive construction of evidence in police interviews:case study of a rape suspect

This article presents an analysis of the discursive construction of evidence in an English police interview with a rape suspect. The analytic findings differ from previous research on police–suspect interview discourse, in that here the interviewers actively lead an interviewee to produce defence evidence. The article seeks to make the following contributions: (i) it demonstrates the interactional mechanisms through which the interviewers co-construct the interviewee’s own version of events, and highlights the potential legal ramifications by focusing on the construction of one key evidential aspect, namely, consent; (ii) it lends weight to the hypothesis that interviewer agendas are strongly determinative of interview outcomes in terms of the evidential account produced, while making the important new contribution of showing that this is not simply a case of police interviewers being inevitably prosecution-focused; and (iii) it aims to provoke further investigation into the significance of interviewer discursive influence in cases where consent is at issue, against a backdrop of increasing numbers of rape cases being discontinued by the police at this early stage of the criminal justice process.

‘Everything’s from the inside out with PCOS’:exploring women’s experiences of living with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and co-morbidities through Skype™ interviews

Polycystic ovary syndrome is an endocrine disorder affecting 1 in 10 women. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome can experience co-morbidities, including depressive symptoms. This research explores the experience of living with polycystic ovary syndrome and co-morbidities. Totally, 10 participants with polycystic ovary syndrome took part in Skype™ interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged from the data: change (to life plans and changing nature of condition); support (healthcare professionals, education and relationships); co-morbidities (living with other conditions and depression, self-harm and suicidal ideation) and identity (feminine identity and us and them). The findings highlight the need for screening of women with polycystic ovary syndrome for depressive disorders.

Investigative interviewing and memory: How accurate are interviewers recollections of investigative interviews?

Contrary to interviewing guidelines, a considerable portion of witness interviews are not recorded. Investigators’ memory, their interview notes, and any subsequent interview reports therefore become important pieces of evidence; the accuracy of interviewers’ memory or such reports is therefore of crucial importance when interviewers testify in court regarding witness interviews. A detailed recollection of the actual exchange during such interviews and how information was elicited from the witness will allow for a better assessment of statement veracity in court. ^ Two studies were designed to examine interviewers’ memory for a prior witness interview. Study One varied interviewer note-taking and type of subsequent interview report written by interviewers by including a sample of undergraduates and implementing a two-week delay between interview and recall. Study Two varied levels of interviewing experience in addition to report type and note-taking by comparing experienced police interviewers to a student sample. Participants interviewed a mock witness about a crime, while taking notes or not, and wrote an interview report two weeks later (Study One) or immediately after (Study Two). Interview reports were written either in a summarized format, which asked interviewers for a summary of everything that occurred during the interview, or verbatim format, which asked interviewers to record in transcript format the questions they asked and the witness’s responses. Interviews were videotaped and transcribed. Transcriptions were compared to interview reports to score for accuracy and omission of interview content. ^ Results from both studies indicate that much interview information is lost between interview and report especially after a two-week delay. The majority of information reported by interviewers is accurate, although even interviewers who recalled information immediately after still reported a troubling amount of inaccurate information. Note-taking was found to increase accuracy and completeness of interviewer reports especially after a two week delay. Report type only influenced recall of interviewer questions. Experienced police interviewers were not any better at recalling a prior witness interview than student interviewers. Results emphasize the need to record witness interviews to allow for more accurate and complete interview reconstruction by interviewers, even if interview notes are available. ^

The Use of Exit Interviews in the U.S Lodging Industry

This study investigated whether hotel managers systematically collected and analyzed data via employee exit interviews to determine why employees left jobs at their properties. Telephone interviews were conducted to determine whether exit interviews were conducted, what use was made of the interview data, and whether there was a relationship between the use of interviews and the level of turnover. Exit interviews appeared to be more common in larger properties and were used primarily for improving employment conditions, identifying problem areas, and providing closure for the employment relationship. There appeared to be an inverse relationship between the use of exit interviews and the level of turnover

A educação popular para todos de uma cidade educadora (Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, 1957-1964)

This work has as a research subject of popular education policies of the city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, in the years 1957 to 1964. It aims to identify and analyze popular education policies developed and implemented by the Municipality of Natal in these years. To get the historical data, we establish as a guiding reserch question the following: Which elaborated educational policies were implemented by the Municipality of Natal in the years 1957-1964? and took over as the method Evidential Paradigm as proposition in Pinheiro (2009). This is anchored in documentary sources of Educational Legislation at National, State and Municipal levels as well as in the newspapers Folha de Tarde and Jornal de Natal; in existing documents from the archives of the Historical and Geographical Institute of Rio Grande do Norte (IHGRN), the Municipal Public Archives of Natal; iconographic sources; interviews and academic publications. In addition to these sources, we were inspired by the works of Aristotles (2011), Hobbes (2009), Freire (2011), Góes (1980), Germano (1989), Cortez (2005) and Galvão (2004). This research allowed us to understand that policies of popular education of Natal (RN) were based on a democratic educational practice, supported on three pillars, namely: participation and involvement of Natal population; construction and reconstruction of teaching practices in prioritizing their action programs to mass literacy and the training of lay teachers; and the democratization of culture. This historical process made Natal on educating city.

Práticas pedagógicas e inclusão escolar: o processo de ensino-aprendizagem de alunas com deficiência intelectual

This research aimed to know and analyze the pedagogical practices that have been developed in the teaching and learning of students with Intellectual Disability (DI), enrolled at common class of elementary school I. The study was conducted in a public school at Natal/RN, involving two students with DI, a multipurpose teacher, a teaching assistant, a teacher of arts and educational coordinator. As for methodological choice, we chose to develop a qualitative study, undertaking a case study. As tools for the construction of the data we use: semi-structured interviews, participant observation, field diary and document analysis. Data analysis reveals that the institution in which the research was undertaken gradually implementing changes in order to develop an inclusive practice, consistent with its assumptions. Regarding the practices developed in the teaching and learning of students with intellectual disabilities, it was possible to realize the fulfillment of certain adjustments in relation to the objectives, activities and some content, involving the use of resources and varied strategies. With regard to educational activities, we found that these had different levels of complexity, covering both basic goals as more complex objectives. From the observations, we realize that the Assistant Professor of mediations during varied activities as challenging tool in intellectual processes. We note, too, a dynamic classroom in which disabled students were under the guidance of Assistant Professor, and other students with all-round teacher who had a fairly traditional teaching methodology. It created thus an isolation situation, since there was no proposition practices to be developed with all students, and interaction among classmates, generally quite restricted. Although were highlighted developments in the social and academic learning of the surveyed students, the teachers said they did not feel prepared to work freight inclusion. The study reveals the need for teachers reviewing some actions undertaken, in order to develop more democratic pedagogical practices of education, stimulating the interactions between students, by proposing challenging activities that promote the formation and concepts. In addition, it points to the need of the education system invest and encourage the qualification of teachers with regard to education in an inclusive perspective, through actions that promote lifelong learning. It needs to be developed on the teacher a reflective attitude, resulting in a view that due diligence must be entered in practice inherent in teaching in order to use to enhance their educational experience.

Práticas pedagógicas e inclusão escolar: o processo de ensino-aprendizagem de alunas com deficiência intelectual

This research aimed to know and analyze the pedagogical practices that have been developed in the teaching and learning of students with Intellectual Disability (DI), enrolled at common class of elementary school I. The study was conducted in a public school at Natal/RN, involving two students with DI, a multipurpose teacher, a teaching assistant, a teacher of arts and educational coordinator. As for methodological choice, we chose to develop a qualitative study, undertaking a case study. As tools for the construction of the data we use: semi-structured interviews, participant observation, field diary and document analysis. Data analysis reveals that the institution in which the research was undertaken gradually implementing changes in order to develop an inclusive practice, consistent with its assumptions. Regarding the practices developed in the teaching and learning of students with intellectual disabilities, it was possible to realize the fulfillment of certain adjustments in relation to the objectives, activities and some content, involving the use of resources and varied strategies. With regard to educational activities, we found that these had different levels of complexity, covering both basic goals as more complex objectives. From the observations, we realize that the Assistant Professor of mediations during varied activities as challenging tool in intellectual processes. We note, too, a dynamic classroom in which disabled students were under the guidance of Assistant Professor, and other students with all-round teacher who had a fairly traditional teaching methodology. It created thus an isolation situation, since there was no proposition practices to be developed with all students, and interaction among classmates, generally quite restricted. Although were highlighted developments in the social and academic learning of the surveyed students, the teachers said they did not feel prepared to work freight inclusion. The study reveals the need for teachers reviewing some actions undertaken, in order to develop more democratic pedagogical practices of education, stimulating the interactions between students, by proposing challenging activities that promote the formation and concepts. In addition, it points to the need of the education system invest and encourage the qualification of teachers with regard to education in an inclusive perspective, through actions that promote lifelong learning. It needs to be developed on the teacher a reflective attitude, resulting in a view that due diligence must be entered in practice inherent in teaching in order to use to enhance their educational experience.