Suspect Interviews and False Confessions

Abstract

In this article, we review two influential methods of police interviewing practice and their associations with false confessions. These are the Reid technique, which is commonly used by police forces in the United States, and the PEACE model, which is routinely used in the United Kingdom. Several authors have recently expressed concerns about the guilt-presumptive and confrontational aspects of the Reid technique and its association with false confessions and recommend that it be replaced by the PEACE model. Anecdotal case studies and DNA exonerations have shown that false confessions are more common than previously thought and are typically associated with two main causes: manipulative/coercive interrogation techniques and suspects' vulnerabilities in interviews. The main challenge for the future is to develop interview techniques that maximize the number of noncoerced true confessions while minimizing the rate of false confessions. In the meantime, the electronic recording of police interviews, which provides invaluable transparency and accountability, is the single best protection against police-induced false confessions.

Memory distrust syndrome, confabulation and false confession

“…Often these confessions are vague, given with hesitancy, and the language used is tentative. The best preventative measures are improved police interview training and practice (Gudjonsson & Pearse, 2011) and the electronic recording of all suspect's interviews that allows a close scrutiny of the process and content of the interrogation (Kassin et al 2010).…”

Behind the Confession: Relating False Confession, Interrogative Compliance, Personality Traits, and Psychopathy

“…The commonly utilized Reid model in North America emphasizes the use of psychological pressure and manipulation techniques and has been shown to lead to increased compliance (Kassin & Kiechel, 1996). Consequently, there has been growing concern about the emphasis of the Reid technique on the rate of false confessions (Gudjonsson & Pearse, 2011;Kassin, 1997). A viable alternative that has been found to be successful in Britain is the PEACE model (the model is designed to take into account the suspect's vulnerabilities that may lead to false confessions; Gudjonsson & Pearse, 2011;Shawyer et al, 2009).…”

“…Consequently, there has been growing concern about the emphasis of the Reid technique on the rate of false confessions (Gudjonsson & Pearse, 2011;Kassin, 1997). A viable alternative that has been found to be successful in Britain is the PEACE model (the model is designed to take into account the suspect's vulnerabilities that may lead to false confessions; Gudjonsson & Pearse, 2011;Shawyer et al, 2009). Gender and ethnicity must also be taken into account when interrogating a suspect.…”

Skill acquisition, transfer and application: a study of investigative interviewing training in the Queensland Police Service

“…As a consequence, both controlled experiments and pretraining/post-training evaluations of SKA uptake tend to be geared towards either suspect or witness/victim interviewees. In the broader investigative interviewing literature, suspect-focussed researchers (Baldwin, 1994;Clarke et al, 2011;Dixon, 2010;Griffiths & Milne, 2006;Griffiths, Milne & Cherryman, 2011;Gudjonsson, 2003;Gudjonsson & Pearse, 2011;Kassin & Gudjonsson, 2004;Meissner, Redlich, Bhatt, & Brandon, 2012;Moston & Engelberg, 1993Moston & Fisher, 2007;Moston, Stephenson, & Williamson, 1992;Stephenson & Moston, 1994;Vandehallen, Vervaeke, Mulleners, & Michaux, 2013;Vrij, & Granhag, 2014) have generated important insights regarding the efficacy of particular questioning techniques, false confessions, the impacts of recorded interviews, the recognition of cues to deception, and the elicitation of information to prove an offence. Equally, witness/victim-focussed researchers (Aldridge & Cameron, 1999;Cederborg, Alm, Lima da Silva Nises, & Lamb, 2013;Clifford & George, 1996;Cyr & Lamb, 2009;Dando, Wilcock, & Milne, 2009;Fisher, 1995;Lamb et al, 2000;Memon, & Kohnken, 1992;Orbach et al, 2000;Powell, 2002Powell, , 2008Powell, Hughes-Scholes, Smith, & Sharman, 2014;Powell & Wright, 2008;Powell et al, 2009;Sternberg, Lamb, Davies, et al, 2001;Sternberg, Lamb, Orbach et al, 2001) The need for formal training in questioning techniques and appropriate interviewer behaviours to improve interviewing outcomes was a common theme and strongly voi...…”

“…Training requirements have, as a result, been considered from a 'bottom-up' perspective in which foundation skills provided to uniformed officers in Level 1 training are subsequently built upon for plain-clothes officers in Level 2 training (Clarke & Milne, 2001;Powell et al, 2005). Research has also focused on either the skill acquisition problem as it exists in the training environment (Aldridge & Cameron, 1999;Clarke & Milne, 2001;Powell et al, 2005;Sternberg, Lamb, Davies, et al, 2001;Warren et al, 1999) or the skill application problem as it presents itself in the police workplace (Cederborg et al 2013;Clarke et al, 2011;Dixon, 2010;Griffiths & Milne, 2006;Gudjonsson & Pearse 2011;Moston & Fisher 2007;Powell 2002;Powell & Wright, 2008). Research gaps exist whereby investigative interviewing skills are considered from an inclusive acquisition-transfer-application perspective.…”