Investigative Interviewing Research Laboratory

Outreach Information

Psychology of Police Interrogation & Confessions

A complete review of confession evidence obtained by means of interrogation should include:

* An analysis of the interrogation techniques that were used to elicit the confession and the extent to which they may have led an innocent individual to provide a confession.

* A post-interrogation analysis of the confession statement itself, including: (a) the degree to which it provides a complete description of the crime and the suspect's involvement; (b) the extent to which it demonstrates independent knowledge of the crime (excluding those facts or pieces of evidence that were disclosed by investigators during the conduct of the interrogation); and (c) whether the statement leads to the discovery of new evidence unknown to investigators that might independently confirm the suspect's statement.

* An analysis of any psychological vulnerabilities that might have led an innocent suspect to provide a false confessions, including: (a) whether the suspect was a juvenile; (b) the mental ability (intelligence, capacity for sustaining attention and processing information) of the suspect; (c) the mental stability (presence of psychological disorders, etc.) of the suspect; and (d) the likely suggestibility or compliance of the suspect.

Several review articles or texts on the Psychology of Police Interrogations & Confessions are referenced below that both attorneys and law enforcement may find useful.

DeClue, G. (2005). Interrogations and disputed confessions: A manual for forensic psychological practice. Sarasota, FL: Professional Resource Press.

Drizin, S. A., & Leo, R. A. (2004). The problem of false confessions in the post-DNA world. North Carolina Law Review, 82, 894-1007.

Gudjonsson, G. H. (2003). The psychology of interrogations and confessions. West Sussex, England: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Kassin, S. M., & Gudjonnson, G. H. (2004). The psychology of confessions: A review of the literature & issues. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 5 (2).

Lassiter, D. (2004). Interrogations, confessions, and entrapment. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.

Meissner, C. A., & Russano, M. B. (2003). The psychology of interrogations and false confessions: Research and recommendations. Canadian Journal of Police & Security Services, 1, 53-64.

Contact Information for Experts in this Area:

Dr. Mark Costanzo, Claremont McKenna College (Claremont, CA). [website] [email]
Dr. Deborah Davis, University of Nevada at Reno (Reno, NV). [website] [email]
Dr. Gregory DeClue (Sarasota, FL). [website] [email]
Dr. Bruce Frumkin (Miami, FL).  [email]
Dr. Solomon Fulero, Sinclair College (Dayton, OH). [website] [email]
Dr. Stephen Golding, University of Utah (Salt Lake City, UT). [website] [email]
Dr. Saul Kassin, Williams College (Williamstown, MA). [website] [email]
Dr. Gisli Gudjonsson, Kings College (London, England). [email]
Dr. Dan Lassiter, Ohio University (Athens, OH). [website] [email]
Dr. Richard Leo, University of California at Irvine. [website] [email]
Dr. Allison Redlich, Policy Research Associates (Delmar, NY). [email]
Dr. Melissa Russano, Roger Williams University (Bristol, RI). [email]
Dr. Larry Wrightsman, University of Kansas (Lawrence, KS).   [website] [email]