The psychology of interrogations and false confessions: Research and recommendations

Christian A. Meissner, Florida International University
Melissa B. Russano, Florida International University

Abstract

Instances of wrongful conviction in North America and Great Britain have uncovered numerous cases in which an innocent suspect has provided a false confession to a crime. As a result, social scientists have studied the interrogation process in an effort to understand the factors that may lead to such false confessions. In the present article, we review what is known about the psychology of police interrogations, including critical aspects of investigative bias, coercive interrogation techniques, and vulnerabilities of the suspect that can increase the likelihood of obtaining a false confession. We also discuss a novel alternative approach to the interrogation process that has recently been implemented in Great Britain, and propose preliminary directions for “best practice” in the interrogation of suspects.