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Power dynamics in police interrogation
I am a fan of crime-related shows and knowledge. Recently I got into the vast field of interrogation analysis and it rings a bell of a lot of the techniques introduced here in TPM. It made me reflect that power tension would be its highest as the situation by nature is potentially fully confrontational and trust starts with 0 (stranger situation).
For example, this one has a lot of great moments.
The suspect had a lot of telltale signs/defense mechanisms such as:
- Equivocating response/explanation
- Rising tone of voice (uncertainty/seeking approval)
- Emotional distancing
The detective/psychologist also used a bunch of techniques (in the judge frame, mostly):
- Accusation
- Group voice ("It's not me, it's all the police officers!")
- Pause technique (to raise tension)
- Reframing (to give social reward)
- Establishing authority
- Plain manipulation
Context:
This is a high-profile case that a guy in Colorado murdered his pregnant wife and two young daughters due to affairs and marital discord - Netflix made a documentary detailing the whole story.
Thought this would be interesting to share. Has anyone else examined examples in this field?
Hello Emily,
Yes, absolutely, those interrogations are both captivating and with much to learn from.
A few of us here actually have either watched a few, or sometimes watch them -me included-.
We also had a thread on how to handle them -and the main takeaway was "99.x% of the time, just say nothing"-:
Quote from Lucio Buffalmano on January 16, 2023, 3:41 pmHello Emily,
Yes, absolutely, those interrogations are both captivating and with much to learn from.
A few of us here actually have either watched a few, or sometimes watch them -me included-.
We also had a thread on how to handle them -and the main takeaway was "99.x% of the time, just say nothing"-:
Ah, yes. That's exactly how I feel as I watched this through (from the suspect's point of view) - “this guy just needs to shut up now”. The more you say, the more they have to turn against you, so don't throw them the rope's end.
Yes I remember seeing the police article when I started out reading your vast collection of essays a while ago. I'll revisit it. :) Appreciate how comprehensive your materials are.
