Dr Natalie Martschuk1, Dr Sonja Brubacher1, Dr Natalie Martschuk1, Prof Martine Powell1
1Centre for Investigative Interviewing, Griffith Criminology Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia, Australia
Biography:
Dr Hamida Zekiroski is a Research Fellow and industry trainer with the Centre for Investigative Interviewing, where she has worked since 2016. Her research focuses on improving the quality of evidentiary interviews through evidence-based questioning strategies. She has led training evaluation studies with frontline police and recruits, examining how interviewer practices influence witness accounts. Hamida has developed expertise in the design of online training programs for investigative interviewers, with a focus on structuring effective practice interviews. She works closely with industry partners to translate research into practical improvements in investigative interviewing training.
Abstract:
This presentation examines how question types influence adults’ responses when reporting experiences of a participatory mock crime. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how different forms of questioning affect the quality and quantity of information provided by adult witnesses, with implications for investigative interviewing practice.
In forensic contexts, interviewers must balance the need for detailed, accurate evidence with the ethical obligation to minimise undue influence. Although open-ended questions are recommended, more directive question types remain common in practice. While substantial research has examined these effects with children, less is known about how adults respond to different question types in ecologically valid interview settings.
Using a participatory mock crime paradigm, adults experienced an interactive event and were interviewed after a short delay using open-ended, wh-, and closed question types. Responses were analysed for productivity, accuracy, and acquiescence to misleading questions. The findings indicate that open-ended questions elicited the most detailed and accurate accounts. However, accuracy varied across other question types: yes/no questions produced relatively high accuracy, whereas wh- questions were less accurate than expected for an adult sample. Option-posing questions yielded the lowest productivity and accuracy, and the highest acquiescence when questions were misleading.
These findings support the use of open-ended questioning in adult witness interviews while highlighting limitations of commonly used question types. The results have practical implications for police training and investigative interviewing protocols, contributing to efforts to improve evidentiary quality while maintaining fair and ethical practice.