False confessions

Question 1

False confession

Answer 1

intentionally fabricated + not based on actual knowledge of facts

Question 2

Retracted confession

Answer 2

claim confession was false at later date

Question 3

Disputed confession

Answer 3

claimed confession was never made

Question 4

Factors that can lead to a false confession. (7)

Answer 4

1) false evidence
2) minimisation
3) mental health issues
4) substance abuse
5) recent negative life events
6) suggestibility + youth
7) ‘accusatory’ interview style

Question 5

Name the types of voluntary confession.

Answer 5

1) Voluntary
2) Coerced-compliant
3) Coerced-internalised

Question 6

Voluntary FC

Answer 6

require no police prompting and can be due to:
~ an attempt to protect real offender
~ desire to be punished
~ desire for notoriety
~ inability to distinguish fact from reality

Question 7

Examples of Voluntary FC.

Answer 7

Lindbergh Baby - kidnapped + killed, 200 confessions

Lance Armstrong - drink driving, claimed it was gf

Question 8

Coerced-Compliant FC

Answer 8

confessor knows they didn’t commit the crime but it occurs due to coercive tactics (most common type)

Question 9

Examples of Coerced-Compliant FC

Answer 9

Guildford 4 - pub bombings, police used false evidence and family threats
Central Park Jogger Case - 5 juveniles falsely confessed, statement didn’t even match up, pitted against each other

Question 10

Methods of avoiding false confessions. (4)

Answer 10

~ improve interviewing technique (PEACE + recordings)
~ maintain interview rights (kids have access to adults)
~ comprehension of rights (typically low 40%)
~ special protocols for vulnerable/suggestible interviewees

Question 11

Consequences of false confessions. (5)

Answer 11

~ confessions v persuasive evidence of guilt (motivational bias)
~ innocent people sent to jail + guilty party not apprehended
~ impact on victim (not safe)
~ guilt of witness (if misidentified confessor)
~ waste of time + resources

Question 12

Coerced-Internalized FC

Answer 12

confessor believes they committed the crime and may have even created memories about it
(certain types of people are more susceptible)

Question 13

Examples of Coerced-Internalized.

Answer 13

Amanda Knox - slapped, denied food/water, eventually confessed to being at crime scene (murder of friend)
Paul Ingram - presented w/ false statement from daughters, admitted to their sexual + satanic abuse

Question 14

Alt Key Study

Answer 14

~ told to type w/o hitting Alt key
~ computers crash + people interrogated (did you press it??)
~ False evidence + higher vulnerability (each) = higher rate of compliance

Question 15

Cheating Paradigm

Answer 15

~ participants do group + individual problems
~ accused of cheating by experimenter (linked to real-life plagiarism, kicked out of school)
~ Guilt condition = higher compliance
~ deal +/or minimisation tactic lead to higher compliance

Question 16

Conditions in Cheating Paradigm.

Answer 16

Guilty = asked to provide help on individual problem
Innocent = not asked for help

Question 17

Vulnerability measures used in Alt Key Study.

Answer 17

Vulnerable = typing near alt key

Non vulnerable = typing away from alt key