PSYC 2400 Lecture 2: LECTURE 2 - The Psychology of Police Investigations
10 Feb 2017
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Document Summary
Psychologists have identified a # of key investigative tests where psychology is particularly relevant: Confession evidence = prosecutor"s most potent weapon people who confess to a crime are more likely to be prosecuted & convicted than those who do not. Police interrogation: process whereby the police interview a suspect for the purpose of gathering evidence. & obtaining a confession; main goal = obtain a confession of guilt. Right to counsel & to be informed of right w/o delay. Right to telephone calls (as many as necessary to retain & instruct counsel) *balancing rights of suspects vs. police officer"s duty to protect. Past physically coercive tactics were used (e. g. whipping, stun gun, etc. ) Some argue that physical tactics have been replaced w/ more subtle, psychologically based interrogation techniques (e. g. lying abt evidence, promising lenient treatment, threats to loved ones, etc. ) Police officers receive specialized training in how to extract confessions.
