The article Police Interrogation from a Social Psychology Perspective discusses a stage of the investigative process called the interrogation of suspects. The article deals with two interrogation techniques from a social psychology perspective. It discusses the effects of these techniques and provides the overview of the techniques. Thus, the research questions posed in the article are as follows. What are the effects of the interrogation? How to conduct it in the best way (Hartwig, Anders Granhag, & Vrij, 2005, p. 381).
The issue raised in the article is based on the social psychology theories. The article also addresses a legal problem. Since the interrogation is the crucial and the most important stage in the investigative process, it is essential to be sure that this stage is proceeded in the most effective way. In the history of police investigations there were many cases when innocent people confessed in things, they actually did not do. The authors of the article pose the following question. Why do innocent people confess? This issue is serious, as innocent people may suffer and be imprisoned because of insufficient interrogation technique. For example, in 1974, the so-called Guildford Four, consisting of four people, were imprisoned for fifteen years, though they were sentenced life imprisonment, for bombing several British pubs. They did not commit that crime, but were interrogated by the police in such a way, that they confessed in it. Such cases lead to the miscarriage of justice (Hartwig, Anders Granhag, & Vrij, 2005, p. 380).
This article is a literature review. It discusses the traditional interrogation, its aim, effects and components. It also observes inappropriate techniques of interrogation. Some parts of the article are based on the text titled Criminal Interrogation and Confession, which in its turn is based on the works of Inbau and Reid. According to these authors, the interrogation should consist of nine steps. The first step is positive confrontation, during which the suspect is told that he/she is guilty in the crime. The second step is theme development. The interrogator develops different themes depending on the type of offenders, as they can be either emotional or non-emotional. The third stage is handling denials. Denials are not suitable for the interrogator, as a denial makes the persuasive process more difficult for the interrogator. Inbau states that the denials of innocent and guilty suspects differ. The next step is overcoming objections. The fifth step is retention of the suspect’s attention. During this stage, the interrogator can move closer to the suspect maintaining eye contact. The sixth stage is handling the suspect’s passive mood. In this step, the interrogator is to show sympathy for the suspect. During the seventh step, the interrogator presents an alternative question, which is the climax of the interrogation process. In the eighth step, the suspect is to give his/her circumstances of the crime. During the last step, the oral confession is to be converted into a written one (Hartwig, Anders Granhag, & Vrij, 2005, p. 381-384).
The above-mentioned nine-step technique is often referred to as the Reid technique. Other authors cited in the article are Kassin and McNall, who distinguished between maximization and minimization strategies. According to Cialdini, the seventh step of the Reid technique is not appropriate, as presenting the alternative question, the interrogator persuades the suspect to choose the more suitable alternative, even though none is true to life. One more drawback of the technique is conducting an interview with the suspect before the process of interrogation. The interrogator can get to know the information that will disadvantage the suspect psychologically in the process of investigation. The ethical considerations of the Reid technique are also lively debated, since this technique requires trickery and manipulation (Hartwig, Anders Granhag, & Vrij, 2005, p. 386).
The main finding of the article is that the Reid technique has enormous power to persuade suspects. However, the interrogators can persuade guilty, as well as innocent suspects. That is the major problem of the technique. Moreover, the results of the experimental psychological research show that some elements of police interrogations can result in false confession. Other findings suggest that the interrogator should use open-ended questions, be familiar with the case, present no trickery during the interrogation, and choose individual style of interrogation depending on the suspect (Hartwig, Anders Granhag, & Vrij, 2005, p. 388).
Therefore, the conclusion of the study is as follows. There are two types of interrogations. One type is aimed at eliciting confessions, while another is aimed at searching for the truth. The British legislation has recently reduced the use of manipulative techniques during the interrogative process. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act has limited the coercive practices, but it did not managed to improve the officers’ interrogation skills (Hartwig, Anders Granhag, & Vrij, 2005, p. 394-395).
The study described in the article is a literature review. It examined the techniques of the interrogation process and its effectiveness in different countries. However, to my mind, the methodology was not strong enough and the authors’ hypothesis are not clear. The experimental research should be conducted in order to improve its results, as the observational studies are not a perfect ground for such kind of research. Therefore, the research did not manage to advance my understanding of the social psychological theories.
References
Hartwig, M., Anders Granhag, P., & Vrij, A. (2005). Police Interrogation from a Social Psychology Perspective. Policing and Society, 15(4), 379-399. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10439460500309956
