Feni Kontogianni

Reports about repeated experiences tend to include more schematic information than information about specific instances. However, investigators in both forensic and intelligence settings typically seek specific over general information. We tested a multi-method interviewing format (MMIF) to facilitate recall and particularisation of repeated events through the use of the self-generated cues mnemonic, the timeline technique, and follow-up questions. Over separate sessions, 150 adult participants watched four scripted films depicting a series of meetings in which a terrorist group planned attacks and planted explosive devices. For half of our sample, the third witnessed event included two deviations (one new detail and one changed detail). A week later, participants provided their account using the MMIF, the timeline technique with self-generated cues, or a free recall format followed by open-ended questions. As expected, more information was reported overall in the MMIF condition compared to the other format conditions, for two types of details, correct details, and correct gist details. The reporting of internal intrusions was comparable across format conditions. Contrary to hypotheses, the presence of deviations did not benefit recall or source monitoring. Our findings have implications for information elicitation in applied settings and for future research on adults’ retrieval of repeated events.

(From the journal abstract)

Kontogianni, F., Rubinova, E., Hope, L., Taylor, P. J., Vrij, A., & Gabbert, F. (2021). Facilitating recall and particularisation of repeated events in adults using a multi-method interviewing format. Memory, 29(4), 471–485.

In a globalised world, investigators often interact with witnesses from diverse cultural backgrounds. To date, there is a wealth of research on the use of evidence-based practices to facilitate recall and reporting in information elicitation contexts. However, research has been primarily conducted with participants from western (and typically individualistic) cultural contexts, ignoring the potential effects of cultural communication norms on memory reporting among other factors. We compared reports provided by two samples that contrast on the individualist-collectivist dimension (UK vs Lebanon). Participants (N = 118) witnessed a staged crime event and provided an account (in their native language) using a self-administered Timeline Technique or a Free Recall format, before responding to cued recall questions. As in previous research, UK participants reported more correct information when using the Timeline Technique compared to free recall. Contrary to hypotheses, participants in Lebanon provided a similar amount of information across reporting format conditions. Overall, Lebanese participants provided fewer correct details both in spontaneous self-administered reporting formats and in cued recall, compared to their UK counterparts. These findings have implications for information-gathering practices in cross-cultural interactions and highlight the (potential) need to modify existing techniques for different cultural contexts.

(From the journal abstract)

Hope, L., Kontogianni, F., et al. (2023) Exploring cultural differences in eyewitness accounts using a self-administered reporting technique, Psychology, Crime & Law, https://doi.org/10.1080/1068316X.2023.2279330

Multiteam systems (MTSs) are comprised of two or more interconnected teams working toward shared superordinate goals but with unique sub-goals. To date, research has predominantly focused on how decisions are made and has viewed these cognitive processes as occurring within individuals. However, for MTSs operating in extreme environments such as disasters, it is often not a question of how decisions are made, but what is causing delays and failures to make decisions. To understand the causes of decision delay within these complex networks, it is important to focus on decision processes at the multiteam level. Using naturalistic observational and interview data collected during a multi-site, multiteam emergency response to a large-scale disaster exercise, this study examines both information sharing (what was shared, with whom, how long this took), and decision processes across teams (situational awareness—SA, plan formulation, and plan execution). Findings demonstrate that interdependencies in cognitive processes exist across individuals where goals overlap. Decision delay is not only caused by failure to develop SA within a team preventing their ability to formulate and execute plans but also by the inability of other teams to execute their plans. The implications of these findings for developing targeted interventions are discussed.

(From the journal abstract)

Rubínová, E., Kontogianni, F. Sources and destinations of misattributions in recall of instances of repeated events. Mem Cogn 51, 188–202 (2023). https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-022-01300-7

(From the Journal article abstract)

Perceptions of trustworthiness foster feelings of swift trust and, in turn, yield positive outcomes in virtual teams. However, limited research has investigated the effects of trustworthiness on trust formation and online risk-taking in unfamiliar dyads. We manipulated the trustworthiness of a pseudo-player (untrustworthy vs trustworthy) in the first of two interactive online games and recorded the participant’s risk-taking behaviour (number of high-risk decisions and investment size) in the second game. We expected a direct and a trust-mediated effect of untrustworthiness on risk-taking. Although our preregistered hypotheses were not supported, exploratory analyses revealed that participants playing with the untrustworthy player were less willing to trust them and, in turn, took significantly fewer high-risk decisions during the first phase of the second game than participants playing with the trustworthy player. No effect was found for investment size. Our results suggest that perceptions of trustworthiness indirectly influence online risk-taking behaviour by informing trust.

Hillner, L., Hope, L., Kontogianni, F., & Conchie, S. (2025). A Click of Faith: How Perceived Trustworthiness Affects Online Risk-Taking in Unfamiliar Dyads. The Journal of Social Psychology, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2025.2464736

Abstract from journal:

Information gathering, including in covert contexts, increasingly takes place in online environments amongst individuals from different cultures. Given that rapport facilitates information gathering, we investigated the perceived impact of communication errors on rapport in brief online interactions. In a pre-registered experiment (N = 191), we examined detection of errors, their effect on perceived rapport, recovery strategy preferences, and cultural differences between UK (low-context) and Chinese (high-context) participants. Results showed sensitivity to subtle communication breaches, with judgment errors significantly reducing perceived rapport. Apology emerged as the most effective recovery strategy, especially among Chinese participants, perhaps reflecting cultural preferences for relational harmony. Interestingly, both cultural groups similarly detected errors, suggesting shared digital norms. These findings contribute to understanding the dynamics of online rapport-building and cross-cultural communication, emphasizing the relevance of relational cues in online interactions - even those with investigative or covert aims.

Hope, L., De La Fuente, A., Kontogianni, F., Leslie, A., & Oostinga, M. S. D. (2026). Communication errors in online interactions: examining cultural differences in perceptions of rapport and preferred recovery strategies. Oñati Socio-Legal Series. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.35295/osls.iisl.2354

Abstract from the journal:

Culture shapes communication norms and societal expectations about an individual’s ties to their social group. This research examined the extent to which cultural influences impact reporting of crime information, including when there is pre-existing relationship between the witness and perpetrator. In a pre-registered online quasi-experiment (N = 163), we examined mock-witness statements about a road traffic incident provided by individuals from the United Kingdom and China (fluent in English). For both groups of participants, the identity of the perpetrator was manipulated to simulate three levels of relationship proximity with mock-witnesses (close–same culture; stranger–same culture; stranger–different culture). In line with our hypothesis, we found an effect of cultural group on the amount of correct information reported. Replicating previous research, individuals from the UK, whose culture is associated with low-context communication preferences, reported significantly more information than those from China, who are associated with a high-context communication culture. Despite an increase in disclosure when reporting information about an out-group target, this affiliation effect was not statistically significant, and neither was the interaction effect. These findings highlight that witnesses’ cultural background should be considered in investigative interviewing contexts, and caution that a witness–perpetrator relationship, to a lesser extent, may jeopardise reporting of information by eyewitnesses. Limitations of the study and future research are discussed.

De La Fuente Vilar, A., Hope, L., Kontogianni, F., & Layal, A. (2026). Culture of Silence: Examining the Influence of Culture in Mock-Eyewitness Reports. Behavioral Sciences, 16(9), 1540. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16091540