PSY 211 Spring B 2023 - Final Project Presentation by Edyson Powell
The Psychology Behind Police Interrogations - An Interactive Escape Module
Start
Intro
Many people have seen how police interrogations supposedly go down in the media, especially in various movies and tv shows that people watch, like displays of a high-adrenaline inducing scene of a suspect being interrogated for a seemingly short amount of time. Today we will participate in an interactive escape module that will teach us the reality and psychology behind an interrogation through use of the Reid Technique.
Continue
Mission 1
Locked
Locked
Locked
Click through the choices to advance through the following scenario
We are presented with a case of 17-year-old Bodey Johnson, who has been convicted of second-degree murder during a drive by shooting in South Pheonix. Click through each choice to see the steps preceding this interrogation.
Suspect identification
Interrogation
Arrest
Suspect Idenification
After law enforncement has gathered evidence from and examined the crime scene, they will bring in any eye-witnesses for questioning. Thus, in which these eye-witnesses may participate in identifying a suspect from a line up or array of photos. We face problems, at times with eye-witness idenfitication because of the many instances that misidentification happens. Author Thomas D. Albright says, "To date, nearly 350 people, many serving lengthy prison sentences, have been exonerated because their own DNA was discovered to be incompatible with evidence long ago collected from the crime scene. In ∼70% of these cases, misidentification by one or more eyewitnesses contributed significantly as evidence for conviction" (Albright T.D., 2017). In this case, Bodey Johnson was chosen among the suspect line-up. Though eye-witness identification is not always reliable, it is still an important factor in a criminal investigation. Eye-witnesses may then move on to give an eye-witness testimony in a criminal trial if law enforcement has chosen their prime suspect.
Continue
Arrest
An Arrest will happen if law enforcement has probable casuse to believe that the suspect has committed a crime. In this case, 17-year-old Bodey Johnson has been arrested and taken in for questioning after eye-witness misidentification.
Continue
Mission 2
Completed
Locked
Locked
Drag and discover
Bodey Johnson, now in custody, is preparing for his interrogation for his conviction of second-degree murder. A crime in which he did not commit, but was identified as the 'perpetratror' by eye-witness misidentification
Pre-interrogation
Interrogation: The Reid Technique
Miranda Rights
Miranda Rights (or Miranda Warning)
Miranda Rights, or a Miranda Warning, is a set of rights law enforment must read to all suspects before the start of a pre-interrogation interview or interrogation; often they are said during an arrest. These rights were established by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1966 case of Miranda v. Arizona, and are designed to protect the suspect's Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination (R.A. Leo, 2009). The Miranda Rights typically consists of the statements: 1. You have the right to remain silent 2. Anything you say can and will be used against you in court. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. The purpose of the Miranda warning is to inform the suspect of their rights and to ensure that anything they say during an interrogation are voluntary and not coerced. If a suspect is not informed of their Miranda rights before an interrogation, any statements they make may not be admissible in court.
Continue
Pre-Interrogation Interview
Prior to the actual interrogation, law enformcement may conduct a pre-interrogation interview or initial-interview. This is where they may gather more information to build their case, and assess the suspect's demeanor and level of cooperation (Kassin, S.M., & Gudjonsson, G.H., 2017). During this, the suspect may be questioned, but this is not yet the 'formal' or actual interrogation proccess. If law enforcemnt believes they have enough evidence to support a formal interrogation, they will commonly read the suspect their Miranda rights before beginning the interrogation.
Continue
Mission 3
Completed
Completed
Locked
Interrogation: The Reid Technique
During the interrogation, the police will question the suspect about their involvement in the crime. They may use various interrogation techniques to elicit a confession or other incriminating information. One widely-used technique we will see used on Bodey Johnson is the Reid Technique. This is s structured technique that uses multiple steps in order to ultimately leave the suspect helpless and get them to confess in the end. We will go through these steps as we click through.
Continue
Remember the code
216
Continue
The Reid Technique: Steps 1-3
Step One: Confrontation - At the start of the interrogation, the interrogator directly confronts the suspect with an accusation and presents them with evidence and facts of the case that suggests their guilt. This is done ina confident manner, which portrays the 'we know what you did' attitude towards the suspect. Sometimes the evidence presented can be false evidence, a manipulative tactic used in interrogations. Doing this can increase the likehood of a false confession (Gudjonsson, G.H., 2003, pp. 13). Step Two: Theme Development - This is where the interrogator devlops a story or portrayal about why the suspect committed the crime. This is done in such a way that the interrogator suggests there is moral justification behind the crime or reasonable excuse for the suspect's behavior. While doing this they also observe if the suspect is showing signs of buying into the theme(Gudjonsson, G.H., 2003, pp. 13-17). Step Three: Stopping Denials - This is where the interrogator disprupts all denials (i.e., "that's not true" or "I didn't do it") that the suspect offers with contradicting evidence. This is done with the goal to lower the confidence of the suspect(Gudjonsson, G.H., 2003, pp. 17-18).
Continue
The Reid Technique: Remaining Steps
Steps 4-5
Steps 8-9
Steps 6-7
The Reid Technique: Steps 4-5
Step Four: Overcoming Objections - Here, the suspect offers logic-based objections or counterarguments--as opposed to denials--in which the interrogator can use said information to turn and use on the suspect. Other techniques in cluse interrupting or ignoring the suspects statements(Gudjonsson, G.H., 2003, pp. 18). Step Five: Getting the Suspect's Attention _ By this part of the interrogation, the suspect may feel a sense of helplesness and their attention may switch off of the interrogator. The interrogator hones in on the helplesness and attempts to gain and/or maintain the suspects attention and focus, typically by acting as an 'ally' or as their 'friend'(Gudjonsson, G.H., 2003, pp. 18).
Continue
The Reid Technique: Steps 6-7
Step Six: Suspect Loses Resolve - Here,the interrogator tries to increase the level of stress in the suspect and looks to maintian eye contact with the suspect, increasing helplesness and restlesenss(Gudjonsson, G.H., 2003, pp. 18). Step Seven: Presenting Alternatives - Here, the interroagtor may offer two motives for the crime. One could be morally wrong, or unacceptable reason for committing the crime; or, the other could be the more socially acceptable reason for committing the crime. Depending on the technique used, the interrogator is looking for the suspect to feed into one of the motives(Gudjonsson, G.H., 2003, pp. 19-20).
Continue
The Reid Technique: Steps 8-9
Step Eight: Bringing Suspect Into Conversation - After having the susupect choose a motive, the interrogator tries to encourage the suspect to talk about the crime, or their role in the crime by using various techniques. These techniques can be bringing another interrogation officer into the room to increase the suspect's stress level, offering a plea deal, or presenting more false evidence. This is meant to further elicit the suspesct to give a confession(Gudjonsson, G.H., 2003, pp. 20). Step Nine; The Confession - Assuming all of the preceeding steps worked, the suspect will finally give a oral and/or written confession to the interrogator. A drawback could be that the suspect is truly innocent, but gives in to stating a false confession in order for the process to finally be over (Gudjonsson, G.H., 2003, pp. 20-21).
Continue
Completed
Completed
Completed
Mission 4
The interrogation is complete. Using the various techniques inerrotation offers typically used, Brodey Johnson ended up giving a false confession after 4 hours in the interrogation room.
Brodey Johnson, although not guilty of the crime, fell victim to many of the psychological manipulation tactics used often by interrogation officers, and seen in the steps of the Reid technique. This symbolizes the controversy surrounding the use of this technique and highlights the importance of obtaining DNA in a preceeding criminal investigation. unfortunately, Brodey's statements said during his interrogation can be used against him in court, and during his criminal trial he was tried as an adult and sentenced to 15 years in prison, but eligible for parole.
Continue
14+3
Continue
You have reached the last mission 🎉 Do you know what the code is?
Enter the password
Congratulations, you made it out!
After revisitation of Brodey Johnson's case, he was exonerated by DNA of his sentence after serving 10 years in prision! We can point out varous flaws in the Reid Technique, from the manipulative techniques to cerocion. Brodey Johnson was a 17-year-old boy who didn't know much of his rights, didn't have a parent in the room, and had a relatively low IQ. It is clear he may have been taken advantage of in order to fit the interrogators preconceived notions of guilt. Author Ariel Spierer says, "Children are at a much greater risk of falsely confessing, and thus being wrongfully convicted, due to the Reid Technique’s manipulative method of questioning" (Spierer, A., 2017, pp. 1729-1730). We must stay educated about the investigative proccess and implement new strategies and techniques to make sure we do not send vulnerable and innocent people to jail!
References
References Albright T. D. (2017). Why eyewitnesses fail. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 114(30), 7758–7764. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1706891114 Gudjonsson, G. H. (2003). The psychology of interrogations and confessions: A handbook. John Wiley & Sons. Kassin, S. M., & Gudjonsson, G. H. (2017). The psychology of confessions: A review of the literature and issues. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 18(2), 1-50. Leo, R. A., & Drizin, S. A. (2010). The three errors: Pathways to false confession and wrongful conviction. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 100(3), 653-706. Spierer, A.. (2017). The right to remain a child: The impermissibility of the reid technique in juvenile interrogations. New York University Law Review. 92. 1719-1750.
PSY 211 Spring 2023 B - Final Project Edyson Powell
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Transcript
PSY 211 Spring B 2023 - Final Project Presentation by Edyson Powell
The Psychology Behind Police Interrogations - An Interactive Escape Module
Start
Intro
Many people have seen how police interrogations supposedly go down in the media, especially in various movies and tv shows that people watch, like displays of a high-adrenaline inducing scene of a suspect being interrogated for a seemingly short amount of time. Today we will participate in an interactive escape module that will teach us the reality and psychology behind an interrogation through use of the Reid Technique.
Continue
Mission 1
Locked
Locked
Locked
Click through the choices to advance through the following scenario
We are presented with a case of 17-year-old Bodey Johnson, who has been convicted of second-degree murder during a drive by shooting in South Pheonix. Click through each choice to see the steps preceding this interrogation.
Suspect identification
Interrogation
Arrest
Suspect Idenification
After law enforncement has gathered evidence from and examined the crime scene, they will bring in any eye-witnesses for questioning. Thus, in which these eye-witnesses may participate in identifying a suspect from a line up or array of photos. We face problems, at times with eye-witness idenfitication because of the many instances that misidentification happens. Author Thomas D. Albright says, "To date, nearly 350 people, many serving lengthy prison sentences, have been exonerated because their own DNA was discovered to be incompatible with evidence long ago collected from the crime scene. In ∼70% of these cases, misidentification by one or more eyewitnesses contributed significantly as evidence for conviction" (Albright T.D., 2017). In this case, Bodey Johnson was chosen among the suspect line-up. Though eye-witness identification is not always reliable, it is still an important factor in a criminal investigation. Eye-witnesses may then move on to give an eye-witness testimony in a criminal trial if law enforcement has chosen their prime suspect.
Continue
Arrest
An Arrest will happen if law enforcement has probable casuse to believe that the suspect has committed a crime. In this case, 17-year-old Bodey Johnson has been arrested and taken in for questioning after eye-witness misidentification.
Continue
Mission 2
Completed
Locked
Locked
Drag and discover
Bodey Johnson, now in custody, is preparing for his interrogation for his conviction of second-degree murder. A crime in which he did not commit, but was identified as the 'perpetratror' by eye-witness misidentification
Pre-interrogation
Interrogation: The Reid Technique
Miranda Rights
Miranda Rights (or Miranda Warning)
Miranda Rights, or a Miranda Warning, is a set of rights law enforment must read to all suspects before the start of a pre-interrogation interview or interrogation; often they are said during an arrest. These rights were established by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1966 case of Miranda v. Arizona, and are designed to protect the suspect's Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination (R.A. Leo, 2009). The Miranda Rights typically consists of the statements: 1. You have the right to remain silent 2. Anything you say can and will be used against you in court. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. The purpose of the Miranda warning is to inform the suspect of their rights and to ensure that anything they say during an interrogation are voluntary and not coerced. If a suspect is not informed of their Miranda rights before an interrogation, any statements they make may not be admissible in court.
Continue
Pre-Interrogation Interview
Prior to the actual interrogation, law enformcement may conduct a pre-interrogation interview or initial-interview. This is where they may gather more information to build their case, and assess the suspect's demeanor and level of cooperation (Kassin, S.M., & Gudjonsson, G.H., 2017). During this, the suspect may be questioned, but this is not yet the 'formal' or actual interrogation proccess. If law enforcemnt believes they have enough evidence to support a formal interrogation, they will commonly read the suspect their Miranda rights before beginning the interrogation.
Continue
Mission 3
Completed
Completed
Locked
Interrogation: The Reid Technique
During the interrogation, the police will question the suspect about their involvement in the crime. They may use various interrogation techniques to elicit a confession or other incriminating information. One widely-used technique we will see used on Bodey Johnson is the Reid Technique. This is s structured technique that uses multiple steps in order to ultimately leave the suspect helpless and get them to confess in the end. We will go through these steps as we click through.
Continue
Remember the code
216
Continue
The Reid Technique: Steps 1-3
Step One: Confrontation - At the start of the interrogation, the interrogator directly confronts the suspect with an accusation and presents them with evidence and facts of the case that suggests their guilt. This is done ina confident manner, which portrays the 'we know what you did' attitude towards the suspect. Sometimes the evidence presented can be false evidence, a manipulative tactic used in interrogations. Doing this can increase the likehood of a false confession (Gudjonsson, G.H., 2003, pp. 13). Step Two: Theme Development - This is where the interrogator devlops a story or portrayal about why the suspect committed the crime. This is done in such a way that the interrogator suggests there is moral justification behind the crime or reasonable excuse for the suspect's behavior. While doing this they also observe if the suspect is showing signs of buying into the theme(Gudjonsson, G.H., 2003, pp. 13-17). Step Three: Stopping Denials - This is where the interrogator disprupts all denials (i.e., "that's not true" or "I didn't do it") that the suspect offers with contradicting evidence. This is done with the goal to lower the confidence of the suspect(Gudjonsson, G.H., 2003, pp. 17-18).
Continue
The Reid Technique: Remaining Steps
Steps 4-5
Steps 8-9
Steps 6-7
The Reid Technique: Steps 4-5
Step Four: Overcoming Objections - Here, the suspect offers logic-based objections or counterarguments--as opposed to denials--in which the interrogator can use said information to turn and use on the suspect. Other techniques in cluse interrupting or ignoring the suspects statements(Gudjonsson, G.H., 2003, pp. 18). Step Five: Getting the Suspect's Attention _ By this part of the interrogation, the suspect may feel a sense of helplesness and their attention may switch off of the interrogator. The interrogator hones in on the helplesness and attempts to gain and/or maintain the suspects attention and focus, typically by acting as an 'ally' or as their 'friend'(Gudjonsson, G.H., 2003, pp. 18).
Continue
The Reid Technique: Steps 6-7
Step Six: Suspect Loses Resolve - Here,the interrogator tries to increase the level of stress in the suspect and looks to maintian eye contact with the suspect, increasing helplesness and restlesenss(Gudjonsson, G.H., 2003, pp. 18). Step Seven: Presenting Alternatives - Here, the interroagtor may offer two motives for the crime. One could be morally wrong, or unacceptable reason for committing the crime; or, the other could be the more socially acceptable reason for committing the crime. Depending on the technique used, the interrogator is looking for the suspect to feed into one of the motives(Gudjonsson, G.H., 2003, pp. 19-20).
Continue
The Reid Technique: Steps 8-9
Step Eight: Bringing Suspect Into Conversation - After having the susupect choose a motive, the interrogator tries to encourage the suspect to talk about the crime, or their role in the crime by using various techniques. These techniques can be bringing another interrogation officer into the room to increase the suspect's stress level, offering a plea deal, or presenting more false evidence. This is meant to further elicit the suspesct to give a confession(Gudjonsson, G.H., 2003, pp. 20). Step Nine; The Confession - Assuming all of the preceeding steps worked, the suspect will finally give a oral and/or written confession to the interrogator. A drawback could be that the suspect is truly innocent, but gives in to stating a false confession in order for the process to finally be over (Gudjonsson, G.H., 2003, pp. 20-21).
Continue
Completed
Completed
Completed
Mission 4
The interrogation is complete. Using the various techniques inerrotation offers typically used, Brodey Johnson ended up giving a false confession after 4 hours in the interrogation room.
Brodey Johnson, although not guilty of the crime, fell victim to many of the psychological manipulation tactics used often by interrogation officers, and seen in the steps of the Reid technique. This symbolizes the controversy surrounding the use of this technique and highlights the importance of obtaining DNA in a preceeding criminal investigation. unfortunately, Brodey's statements said during his interrogation can be used against him in court, and during his criminal trial he was tried as an adult and sentenced to 15 years in prison, but eligible for parole.
Continue
14+3
Continue
You have reached the last mission 🎉 Do you know what the code is?
Enter the password
Congratulations, you made it out!
After revisitation of Brodey Johnson's case, he was exonerated by DNA of his sentence after serving 10 years in prision! We can point out varous flaws in the Reid Technique, from the manipulative techniques to cerocion. Brodey Johnson was a 17-year-old boy who didn't know much of his rights, didn't have a parent in the room, and had a relatively low IQ. It is clear he may have been taken advantage of in order to fit the interrogators preconceived notions of guilt. Author Ariel Spierer says, "Children are at a much greater risk of falsely confessing, and thus being wrongfully convicted, due to the Reid Technique’s manipulative method of questioning" (Spierer, A., 2017, pp. 1729-1730). We must stay educated about the investigative proccess and implement new strategies and techniques to make sure we do not send vulnerable and innocent people to jail!
References
References Albright T. D. (2017). Why eyewitnesses fail. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 114(30), 7758–7764. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1706891114 Gudjonsson, G. H. (2003). The psychology of interrogations and confessions: A handbook. John Wiley & Sons. Kassin, S. M., & Gudjonsson, G. H. (2017). The psychology of confessions: A review of the literature and issues. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 18(2), 1-50. Leo, R. A., & Drizin, S. A. (2010). The three errors: Pathways to false confession and wrongful conviction. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 100(3), 653-706. Spierer, A.. (2017). The right to remain a child: The impermissibility of the reid technique in juvenile interrogations. New York University Law Review. 92. 1719-1750.