From: jcs
Psychological analysis of suspect behavior and various interrogation techniques are often employed by law enforcement during suspect interviews to elicit truthful information or confessions. These techniques range from specific questioning strategies to the application of psychological pressure during polygraph examinations.
Behavior-Provoking Questions
One specific police interrogation strategy involves the use of “behavior-provoking questions” [00:00:29]. These questions are designed to elicit distinct responses depending on the suspect’s guilt or innocence.
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Draconian Response An innocent person typically provides a “draconian response,” immediately suggesting the harshest possible sentence for the crime they are falsely accused of committing [00:00:32].
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Equivocating Response A deceptive individual, conversely, often gives an “equivocating response.” This involves fragmenting or diverting from the question to avoid a direct answer [00:00:41]. For example, when asked what should be done with a perpetrator, a deceptive individual might focus on the victims’ safety instead of the perpetrator’s punishment [00:00:53] or question the legality of severe penalties [00:01:21].
Psychological Dynamics in Interrogations
Psychological dynamics in police interrogations are crucial, with interrogators employing several tactics to manage a suspect’s emotional state and encourage cooperation.
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Confronting Discrepancies Interrogators may confront suspects with information they already know to be false, such as a suspect’s denial of infidelity when the interrogator has evidence of it [00:02:30]. They can also recover deleted digital exchanges from devices, even long after deletion [00:02:53].
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Amplifying Anxiety Before significant steps like a polygraph test, an interrogator may deliberately amplify a suspect’s anxiety and apprehension [00:07:19]. This is done to increase the challenge for a guilty suspect to “beat” the polygraph [00:10:44].
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Reframing Technique (Passive Accusation) While sometimes appearing as a “reframing technique” to shift a suspect’s self-perception from negative to positive to lessen the perceived inequity of their crimes and increase confession chances [00:08:38], this tactic is more likely “passive accusation.” This is where the interrogator is nearly certain of guilt and indirectly accuses the suspect, often by offering high praise for trivial actions [00:09:06].
Polygraph Examination Techniques
Polygraph examinations are a key part of criminal interrogation techniques, and specific police interrogation tactics are used during their administration.
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Psychological Pressure as Reassurance During the pre-test phase, a polygrapher may apply psychological pressure disguised as reassurance [00:10:30]. This technique, though not routine, is often used when the suspect’s guilt is considered almost conclusive [00:10:39]. The polygrapher asserts confidence in their training and ability to detect truth, implying that if the suspect is innocent, it will be proven [00:10:09].
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Clarifying “Disappearance” through Scenarios To ensure a suspect understands the scope of questions regarding a disappearance, the polygrapher may ask them to brainstorm ways someone could be made to disappear, including murder scenarios like stabbing, shooting, or blunt force trauma, as well as drowning or burning [00:14:06]. This ensures the suspect is fully aware that questions about causing a disappearance refer to direct physical actions [00:17:21].
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Directed Lie Polygraph Test This type of test includes three categories of questions [00:18:17]:
- Known Truth Questions: Simple questions (e.g., “Are you sitting down?”) used to establish a baseline for truthful responses, eliciting minimal bodily reactions, and to disconnect thought patterns between questions [00:18:20].
- Control Questions: These are questions the suspect is instructed to purposely lie about (e.g., “Before 2018, did you ever lose your temper with someone you cared about?” and the suspect answers “No”) [00:18:44]. They are structured so that all answers are “no” responses [00:18:56].
- Relevant Questions: Directly related to the crime under investigation, which the examinee is expected to answer truthfully [00:19:01]. A guilty subject will show a stronger reaction to these questions than to control questions, even if lying on both, due to the immediate threat posed by relevant questions [00:19:08].
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Post-Test Confrontation Following a polygraph, the examiner will interpret the results. If a suspect “fails,” they are informed that their dishonesty was “completely clear” [00:23:32]. The polygrapher may first provide a momentary boost of confidence before abruptly stating the failure, emphasizing the suspect’s inability to lie effectively [00:20:01]. This is often followed by a direct appeal for the truth, indicating that the truth will soon be known to more people than just the suspect and the polygrapher [00:21:07]. These techniques and strategies are core to criminal investigation and interrogation techniques.