The Royal Canadian Mounted Police implemented the Phased Interview Model in Canada and has argued that it is a novel and productive way to interview suspects. We applaud the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for moving away from a purely accusatorial approach and recognize that Phased Interview Model contains several science-based practices. In this article, however, we evaluate the Phased Interview Model critically. In particular, we present compelling empirical evidence that three fundamental practices (minimizing culpability, mischaracterizing evidence, and asking leading questions) in the Phased Interview Model put the truth-seeking
The perceived credibility of a sexual assault victim's court testimony was examined. A 2 (Face Covered: No, Yes) x 2 (Muslim Garment: No, Yes) between-participant design was used.Participants (N = 120) were assigned to watch one of four videos of a sexual assault victim providing testimony, and asked to rate her credibility. The effect of Muslim Garment on victim credibility ratings was significant; the victim was perceived as more credible when she wore a niqab or hijab compared to when she did not wear either of these garments. The effect of Face Covering on credibility ratings was non-significant, and the interaction was non-significant. The implications for women who wear Muslim garments while testifying about sexual assault are discussed.
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