Culture, trauma, and memory in investigative interviews

Abstract

Police investigators, immigration officials, and other investigative interviewers often interview individuals from different cultural backgrounds about potentially traumatising events. Much of the work on the impact of negative life events on memory has overlooked cultural differences. In this article, we integrate insights from legal, clinical, and cross-cultural psychology to shed light on cross-cultural investigative interviews about negative life events. We review how negative life events may be experienced and expressed differently around the world, highlighting the limitations of the Western ‘trauma’ model. Next, we consider how culture and negative life events may interact to influence memory reporting in investigative interviews. We identify barriers to disclosure and effective communication in interviews, including the role of interpreters. Finally, we propose how research findings on culture, trauma, and memory can be incorporated into the recently adopted Méndez Principles for investigative interviewing.