Gudjonsson+Mackeith 1990: False Confessions (Suspects)

Question 1

Aim?

Answer 1

To document a case of false confessions of a youth who was, at the time, distressed and susceptible to interrogative pressure.

Question 2

Method?

Answer 2

Case study

Question 3

PP?

Answer 3

‘FC’- a 17 year old accused of 2 murders, avg intelligence, suffered from no mental illness

Question 4

The case?

Answer 4

1987: 2 elderly women killed in home
•savings were missing
•sexually assaulted
•arrested for inconsistencies of his movements+spending more money than usual
•no forensic evidence
•confessed during police interview+later to solicitor
•1 year in jail until someone else confessed

Question 5

Police interview?

Answer 5

•1st one= 14 hours with breaks, 5 officers interviewed 
-started by denying he was at scene
-after repeated accusations he agreed
-much of q's were leading+accusatory 
-suggested he was sexually impotent 
•rejected confession next day
•confessed again after pressure about his failure to have successful relationships with women
•3 further interviews

Question 6

Psychiatric examination?

Answer 6

• no evidence of mental illness
• IQ of 94+stable extrovert personality
• 10 (very high) on Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (how likely you are to give in to police questioning)

Question 7

Conclusions?

Answer 7

‘Coerced compliant fake confession’= gave in to pressure to escape from interview situation

Question 8

Strengths?

Answer 8

• high Eco v
• ethical= anonymity
• useful= non-obvious vulnerable suspects
• longitudinal

Question 9

Weaknesses?

Answer 9

•sample= low external reliability 
•case study= low generalisability 
-idiographic (focussing on 1 individual)
-doesn't support PAS
•anachronistic (outdated)

Question 10

What are the 3 types of false confessions?

Answer 10

1. Voluntary false confession= e.g protect true criminal
2. Coerced compliant false confession= only way to escape situation
3. Coerced internalised false confession= convinced they did commit crime