Interviewing Vulnerable Suspects

Police induced false confessions can sometimes occur as a result of vulnerable suspects being less able to cope with the pressure of questioning. The research discussed explores why this might be the case; why vulnerable suspects may be less resilient to external pressure, and therefore more inclined towards false confessions. It considers the relationship between trait personality variables, insecure attachment tendencies, and the experience of intense life adversity. It examines how those factors are related and may increase the likelihood of police-induced false confessions and statements during interview. Findings provide an insight into one of the major reasons why innocents may sometimes give false confessions and statements during investigative interview. This work therefore extends theory and offers practical insights for the interviewing of vulnerable suspects of relevance to students, researchers, and practitioners within forensic psychology and applied forensic setting.