False Confession Causes and Case Examples

Jul 08, 2026

False Confession Case Histories

False confessions are caused by investigators engaging in coercive behaviors. Here are a number of case examples.

Physical abuse and the threat of physical harm

The courts have...

The Role of Anxiety During Interrogation

Sep 01, 2002

The Role of Anxiety During Interrogation

A psychological model has been developed that describes the relationship between perceived consequences and anxiety during an interrogation.(1) The model states that the interrogator's goal...

The Importance of a Written Statement

Aug 01, 2002

An employee has been interviewed and interrogated concerning the issue of falsifying time card entries. At the conclusion of the interrogation the investigator brings in a witness who is told that the...

Going Directly from an Interview Into an Interrogation

Jul 01, 2002

In the Reid Technique a clear distinction is made between interviewing and interrogation. The interview is non-accusatory, question and answer process that is designed to elicit information. An interrogation is accusatory in...

Conducting An Exit Interview

Jun 01, 2002

When an employee gives his two week notice to leave a company, the typical response centers around how to find a replacement for that person. What is often overlooked is that the...

Considerations With Respect to the Use of Evidence During an Interrogation

May 01, 2002

Considerations with Respect to the Use of Evidence During an Investigation

The Reid Technique represents a structured investigative approach to solve cases involving little or no evidence. The first step...

Evaluating the Truthfulness of a Reported Sexual Assault

Apr 01, 2002

Wisconsin recently introduced legislation that would prohibit a sexual assault victim from being asked to take a polygraph examination. Many states have already passed such a law. Clearly doubting the veracity of...

The Computerized Voice Stress Analyzer (CVSA)

Mar 01, 2002

Throughout history man has tried to identify a single, unique physiological responses that would only be present when a person lied. In the 1970's a phenomenon known as a vocal micro tremor...

The Role of Motivation in the Interpretation of a Subject's Behavior

Feb 01, 2002

In psychology, a person's motivation generally relates to the strength of their desire to accomplish a specific goal, which is also referred to as their drive. On the other hand, the concept...

Don't Overlook The Person Who Reported The Crime

Jan 01, 2002

A guideline we teach during our seminars is that the first person interviewed during an investigation should be the individual who reported the crime. The primary reason for this is because that...

Screening New Employees: Part II

Dec 01, 2001

The importance of a face to face interview with a job applicant to evaluate their recent past behavior was emphasized in the last web tip. One reason employers are reluctant to ask...

Screening New Employees: Part I

Nov 01, 2001

Screening New Employees: Part I

In light of the tragic events of September 11th, there is a heightened awareness to properly screen new employees. The terrorists' attack on the WTC...

Evaluating Omissions within a Suspect's Statement

Oct 01, 2001

An earlier web tip discussed the evaluation of inconsistencies within a suspect's statements. Inconsistencies represent factual changes in an account whereas omissions represent expected information not included within a response...

The Polygraph Technique Part II: Value During an Investigation

Sep 01, 2001

Each year in the United States hundreds of thousands of polygraph examinations are administered. The primary value of the polygraph technique is to eliminate innocent suspects early during an investigation. This greatly...

The Polygraph Technique, Part I: Theory

Aug 01, 2001

The polygraph instrument, erroneously called a 'lie detector', is nothing more than a monitoring device to record different physiological systems. The first polygraph was developed in 1908 by a British Doctor to...

Interrogations of Children

Jul 01, 2001

National statistics would readily support the claim that, in the last decade, children are increasingly involved in more serious crimes. It no longer shocks the average listener to learn that a 12-year-old...

Interviewing vs. Interrogation

Jun 01, 2001

A concept we teach in our basic course is, "If you're going to interview, interview. If you're going to interrogate, interrogate." There are two important parts of this lesson. The first is...

Evaluating Inconsistencies Within an Account

May 01, 2001

It is a common trial strategy for an attorney to attack inconsistencies within testimony offered by a victim, witness, or an investigator. And yet most victims, witnesses and investigators tell the truth...

Mirroring and Its Values During Interviews and Interrogations

Apr 01, 2001

What is Mirroring?

Recently I was talking to one of my sons about a possible location to spend our spring vacation. My left hand was in my pocket and...

Selecting the Proper Issue in a Child Physical Abuse Investigation

Mar 01, 2001

The nature of most crimes involve a central criminal behavior such as stealing money, starting a fire, selling drugs or having sexual contact with another person. Under these circumstances, the focus of...

Question Formulation Guidelines: Part II

Feb 01, 2001

This web tip offers a continuation of the January tip. The emphasis of this information is that how a question is asked often dictates the ease at which a deceptive subject can...