Interrogation & Interviewing
Full course description
Interrogation and interviewing are at the core of many police investigations. In this course, students will learn about the different strategies that can be used when interrogating or interviewing a suspect. The course will deal with the difference between the accusatory interrogation style (i.e., an interrogation aimed at eliciting a confession), and the information gathering approach (i.e., an interview aimed at eliciting relevant information), and their effects on eliciting false confessions. In addition, the course will deal with the best way to detect deception in such interrogation/interviews. Students will discuss the use of non-verbal and verbal cues, but also the use of the polygraph to detect deception. Finally, the course will deal with mediation in criminal and civil law.
Course objectives
- students are familiar with the best practices in investigative interviewing;
- students are familiar with the aetiology of false confessions, and considerations to prevent them;
- students are familiar with the theories of deception and deception detection;
- students are familiar with the role of mediation in penal and civil law.