Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, Vol 30(2), May 2024, 105-120; doi:10.1037/law0000422
As accusatorial approaches to interrogation in the United States have increasingly come under scrutiny, interest in science-based methods of interviewing and interrogation has risen. The purpose of the current study was to assess the effectiveness of a 5-day science-based interrogation course delivered by the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group to U.S. federal, local, and state law enforcement investigators. Core aspects of the training included the use of productive questions, developing interrogator–suspect rapport, and conducting a cognitive interview. Ninety investigators who participated in the training submitted pre- and posttraining recordings of real-world suspect interviews. As hypothesized, investigators increased their use of science-based approaches after training and decreased their use of unproductive questions. Training did not influence how frequently they employed customary accusatorial techniques. Using a path model analysis, we also explored the relationships between use of science-based techniques and accusatorial approaches on the key outcome variables of cooperation, information disclosure by the suspect, and confession. We found positive indirect effects of training on cooperation and information disclosure via the use of science-based approaches. Moreover, science-based approaches were positively associated with increased cooperation and information disclosure and, indirectly, confession rates. In contrast, accusatorial approaches were associated with increased use of suspect counter-interrogation strategies and decreased cooperation and information gain. Implications for future training programs are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)