Myth 46: All people who confess to a crime are guilty of it

Question 1

Which 3 reasons are there for people to confess voluntarily to crimes they didn’t commit?

Answer 1

1. Self-punishment to pay for real/imagined past transgressions
2. Desire to protect the real perpetrator
3. Difficulty with distinguishing fantasy from reality

Question 2

What are 2 concerns of false confessions?

Answer 2

1. Hinder police to identify the real perpetrator
2. Judges/jurors view it as persuasive evidence of guilt, whilst studies reveal nobody is good at detecting when people falsely confess

Question 3

Which are the 2 types of false confessions and what are they?

Answer 3

Compliant = People confess to gain a promised/implied reward, escape an unpleasant situation or avoid a threat

Internalized: Vulnerable people come to believe they actually committed a crime because of pressures put on them during interrogation

Question 4

Which 4 factors increase the likelihood of someone giving a false confession?

Answer 4

1. Individual is young, suggestible, isolated from others
2. Confronted with strong evidence of their guilt
3. Have prior criminal history, use drugs and have no legal counsel
4. Being questioned by intimidating and manipulative interviewers