Question

which of the following is a way police have changed their interrogation techniques to lower the risk of false memory syndrome? police have ______.

• have an adult present when interrogating a child to make sure they dont lie about what they witnessed.
• decided to only prosecute cases with dna evidence
• required new officers to study psychology and learn about false memory syndrome
• modified the way witnesses are questioned

Explanation:

Identify the core psychological issue

Using the Eyewitness Testimony and Misinformation Effect knowledge points, we analyze how suggestive questioning by law enforcement can inadvertently implant false memories or distort a witness's recollection of an event.

Evaluate the impact of interrogation techniques

To lower the risk of false memory syndrome, police departments and cognitive psychologists developed modified questioning techniques (such as the cognitive interview). These methods use open-ended questions and avoid leading or suggestive language to preserve the accuracy of the witness's memory.

Analyze the given options

• Option 1: Having an adult present when questioning a child is a protective measure, but the stated reason ("to make sure they don't lie") does not address the cognitive vulnerability of memory distortion or false memory syndrome.
• Option 2: Restricting prosecution to cases with DNA evidence is factually incorrect and not a change in interrogation techniques.
• Option 3: While education is beneficial, simply requiring study does not represent a direct operational change in how interrogations are conducted.
• Option 4: Modifying the way witnesses are questioned (using non-leading, open-ended prompts) directly reduces the introduction of misinformation, thereby lowering the risk of false memory syndrome.

Answer:

• have an adult present when interrogating a child to make sure they don't lie about what they witnessed.
• decided to only prosecute cases with DNA evidence
• required new officers to study psychology and learn about false memory syndrome
• modified the way witnesses are questioned (Correct answer)