The psychology of interrogative suggestibility: a vulnerability during police interview (original) (raw)

The psychology of interrogative suggestibility: a vulnerability during interview

This study uses structural equation modelling to investigate the psychological mechanism underpinning interrogative suggestibility on the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (GSS). It considers the relationship between neuroticism (vulnerability especially) and compliance within the Five-Factor personality model,fearful avoidant attachment (FAA), the experience of intense negative life events (iNLE) and interrogative suggestibility. Each participant completed the GSS 1, the Life Events Questionnaire, the Relationship Scale Questionnaire, and the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised. Findings show that: (i) vulnerability and FAA correlate; FAA patterns indirectly affect misinformation acceptance both in the absence of pressure (Yield 1) and in response to pressure (Yield 2) through iNLE. (ii) FAA patterns and compliance indirectly affect sensitivity to interrogative pressure (Shift scores) through iNLE. An endogenous tendency towards distress, FAA, and compliant tendencies (with respect to Shift scores) may be the basis of individual differencesin interrogative suggestibility. This could manifest as false statements and inconsistencies inanswer during questioning.

Interrogative suggestibility: life adversity, neuroticism and compliance

This study investigates the relationship between the number and intensity of negative life events experienced (nNLE and iNLE respectively), neuroticism (N), compliance (C), and interrogative suggestibility on the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale 1 (GSS 1). Participants (N = 127) completed the GSS1, the Life Events Questionnaire, and the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised. Results show that nNLE correlates significantly with both Yield 1 and Yield 2. Blended models including iNLE and N as independent variables, C as the mediator, and GSS scores as dependent variables provide the most acceptable accounts of GSS scores. The models demonstrate that: (i) the effects of iNLE, N and C on Yield 1 are not statistically significant, (ii) iNLE (but not N or C) exerts a significant and positive direct effect on Yield 2, and (iii) iNLE, N and C exert significant and positive direct effects on shift scores. Findings suggest that answer-shifting on the GSS may result from a negative mindset within interviewees, a desire to alleviate distress, and from compliant tendencies in response to feelings of uncertainty and expectations of success. They further imply that false confessions, in interviewees reporting iNLEs, could also result from compliance with interviewer-pressure or negative feedback during questioning.

Individual differences in interrogative suggestibility: life adversity and field dependence

Since the turn of the century much research has explored the concept of interrogative suggestibility, with recent research highlighting a sizeable link between the reported experience of negative life events (NLEs) and performanceon the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale 1 (GSS1). The present study sought to reinvestigate the previously found novel relationship, as well as explore the role of field dependence as a possible coping mechanism implemented during interview by such vulnerable interviewees. As expected, highly significant correlations between NLEs and the suggestibility components of the GSS emerged. Field dependence, however, failed to correlate significantly with either NLE or GSS scores. Nonetheless, some additional findings relating to age, NLEs, and shift scores on the GSS were noted, which may help further our understanding of the NLE to interrogative suggestibility relationship. A new group of vulnerable interviewees, who are as yet unrecognized by the police or courts, has also been identified.

The relationship between suggestibility and anxiety among suspects detained at police stations

Psychological Medicine, 1995

SYNOPSISThe present study investigated the relationship between anxiety, as measured by the State-Trait Inventory (Spielberger, 1983) and interrogative suggestibility, as measured by the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (GSS 2, Gudjonsson, 1987). One hundred and sixty-one suspects detained at two English police stations for questioning were assessed prior to being interviewed by the police. Unexpectedly, trait anxiety correlated more consistently with suggestibility than did state anxiety. The correlations were consistently higher among the Caucasian than the Afro-Caribbean subjects and the Afro-Caribbean subjects were significantly more suggestible than the Caucasian subjects even after their GSS 2 memory and IQ scores had been controlled for. The main practical implications of the findings are that interrogative suggestibility cannot be easily evaluated from the person's self-reported anxiety and the situation in which people are assessed may influence the relationship between ...

Addressing Psychological Vulnerability in the Police Suspect Interview

Psychological vulnerability (PV) is a term used to describe problems facing individuals with a mental illness or intellectual disability. PV poses considerable ethical and procedural problems for the criminal justice system. It is often difficult for law enforcement officers to identify PV individuals; PV individuals may have difficulties in understanding the legal process, and are especially vulnerable during police suspect interviews. This article reviews the characteristics, information processing, and communication difficulties facing individuals with a PV, and how these interact in the suspect interview context to challenge the collection of full and reliable accounts. We consider how police may mitigate some of these risks, through the identification of individuals with a PV in the first place, and through careful management of the interview, ensuring that as accurate account as possible can be obtained.