Authors
Mikaela Magnusson, Emelie Ernberg, Anders Granhag, Lina Nyström, Timothy J Luke
Publication date
2021/8/13
Publisher
PsyArXiv
Description
Purpose
Research-based interviewing techniques for detecting deceit typically rely upon suspects being, at least partially, responsive and engaged in the conversation. To date, the scientific literature is more limited regarding situations where the suspect remains silent or speaks very little. The present study aimed to examine Swedish police officers’ self-reported strategies when interviewing uncooperative suspects.
Methods
A total of 289 police officers responded to a national survey that included questions about handling silence. The participants worked with a wide range of criminal cases, including financial crimes, fraud, violent offences, domestic abuse, volume crime, and traffic violations. We used content analysis to examine their written responses to the open-ended question:“What, if any, strategies do you use when interviewing suspects who speak very little or not at all?”.
Results
Four main categories were identified relating to (1) question strategies (eg, asking the questions anyway, using silence),(2) information strategies (eg, emphasizing the benefits of cooperating, informing about their legal right to silence),(3) supportive strategies (eg, being friendly, asking about reasons for silence), and (4) procedural strategies (eg, changing interviewers, conducting multiple interviews). Practitioners working with violent crimes reported meeting uncooperative suspects more frequently compared to practitioners working with other criminal offences.
Conclusions
The results provide an initial exploration into the various strategies used by police interviewers when questioning uncooperative suspects. Gaining a better understanding about the …