Collecting initial accounts using ChatCharlie chatbot improves eyewitness memory in later investigative interviews

Initial account interviews (IAi) offer eyewitnesses more immediate opportunities to answer a series of brief questions about their experiences prior to an in-depth, more formal investigative interview. An IAi is typically elicited in-person near/at the scene of a crime using broadly systematic questioning. Retrieval practice can improve subsequent recall in some contexts, but there is a dearth of research centred on the potential costs and benefits of a quick IAi. Furthermore, where an in-person IAi is impossible, no alternative quick provision exists. Given the systematic nature of the IAi protocol, we developed a conversational chatbot as a potential alternative. Using a mock-witness paradigm, we investigated the memory performance of adults from the general population during in-depth in-person interviews one week after having provided an IAi 10 min post event either (1) in person, (2) via the ChatCharlie chatbot, or (3) no IAi (control). IAi conditions leveraged significantly improved event recall during later investigative interviews versus the Control. Accounts were more accurate and complete, and more correct information was remembered without increased errors indicating the potential of digital agents for IAi purposes Findings concur with predictions from theoretical understanding of episodic memory consolidation and the empirical eyewitness literature regarding the benefits of practice in some contexts.