Making A Case- Interviewing Suspects

Question 1

Method of Vrijj and Mann

Answer 1

Study 1- coding study

Study 2- lab experiment

Question 2

Participants of Vrijj and Mann

Answer 2

Study 1- interviewee was a convicted criminal- volunteer

Study 2- 59 males and 6 females all police officers from west Sussex

Question 3

Procedure of study 1 of Vrijj and Mann

Answer 3

• Suspect videoed during many hours of interview.
• Police had good reasons to suspect him.
• 2 experienced police officers interviewed him with lawyers present.
• initially denied involvement but interview showed his guilt.
• videos analysed looking at behaviours.

Question 4

Procedure is study 2 of Vrijj and Mann

Answer 4

Selected video fragments shown to 65 police officers, asked:

• is he lying (yes or no)
• is he tense (scale 1-7)
• is he controlling his behaviour (scale 1-7)
• is he having to think hard (scale 1-7)

Question 5

Study 1 results of Vrijj and Mann

Answer 5

Long pauses
Spoke slowly
More speech disturbances than normal

Question 6

Study 2 results of Vrijj and Mann

Answer 6

Overall accuracy rate = 64%

Participants better at truths (70%) than lies (57%)

Question 7

Aim of Goudjonsson and Mackeith

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Method of Goudjonsson and Mackeith

Answer 8

Case study

Question 9

Participant of Goudjonsson and Mackeith

Answer 9

17 year old accused of 2 murders, of average intelligence, no mental illness personality not obviously abnormal

Question 10

Background of Goudjonsson and Mackeith

Answer 10

2 elderly women battered to death in their home, their savings missing and evidence of sexual assault.

Youth had no access to solicitor, and there was no forensic evidence against him, interviewed at length and confessed by writing a statement

Question 11

Police interviews of Goudjonsson and Mackeith

Answer 11

14 hours lasted the first interview, there were 3 more interviews. 5 officers questioned him, he denied but after repeatedly being accused and said to be sexually impotent he agreed

Question 12

Psychiatric examinations of Goudjonsson and Mackeith

Answer 12

No evidence of mental illness found.

He scored 10 on Gudjonsson suggestibility scale making him abnormal.

Question 13

Conclusions of Goudjonsson and Mackeith

Answer 13

He gave in during the interview to escape - coerced complaint false confession
Shows it can happen to anyone

Question 14

Aim of Goudjonsson and Pearse

Answer 14

To test the hypothesis that psychologically vulnerable people are particularly likely to confess as well as younger people, those without previous criminal offence and without legal advice.

Question 15

Method of Goudjonsson and Pearse

Answer 15

Quasi experiment

Question 16

Participants of Goudjonsson and Pearse

Answer 16

160 adults being questioned by the police (with consent) mainly for property offences, some for violent offences and drugs, 84% male, mean age 24

Question 17

Procedure of Goudjonsson and Pearse

Answer 17

1hr of tests, 10-15 mins standardised clinical interview questions asked about knowledge of legal rights(score 1-8), GSS, STAI, WAIS-R, Schonell Graded Word Reading Tests

3 psychologists stated that 17.5% need appropriate adult

Compared to control

Question 18

Results of Goudjonsson and Pearse

Answer 18

• 3 police interviewing tactics identified.
• 28 suspects =vulnerable -> half made a confession
• 60 % of confessors were 25 or younger
• suspects who took drugs in last 24 hours more likely to confess
• 4 times more likely to deny if legal representative present.

Question 19

Aim of Vrijj and Mann

Answer 19

To investigate of behaviour of a suspect telling lies during a police interview and to assess the accuracy with which police identify lies