1. Chapter 11(b) False Confessions Talbot Kellogg Community College
Criminal Psychology
Chapter 11(b)
False Confessions
Talbot
Kellogg Community College

2. The Nature of False Confessions
Confession – An admission of guilt.
False Confession – An admission of guilt by an innocent.
A Counterintuitive Human Behavior
Saul Kassin
No numbers available on prevalence.
200 DNA exonerations for wrongful confessions
45% of those saying they falsely confessed are telling the truth.
12% of prisoners, 10% high school students, 3 – 4% of college students admit to having falsely confessed to something.
Perhaps the tip of the iceberg. (Some issues do not appear in the data)
Police and prosecutors reject some false confessions.
Plea bargains.
Juvenile courts.
15 minutes of fame issues
Lindberg baby

3. How new is this?
1692 Salem Witch Trials

4. Central Park Jogger Case
Patricia Meili
Location of physical evidence.
The presence of accomplices.
Other details of the crime or related crimes.
5 suspects caught and within 72 hours, all had given detailed confessions. The teens--Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Kharey Wise

5. Additional information
DNA was at the scene of the crime but did not match any of the 5.
Matteus Reyes (2002): Confessed from prison of the violent rape.
Identified details of the crime which had not been released to the public.
Preserved DNA matched his own.
He was in prison for raping 3 other women, and killing one after the 1989 investigation of the rape had ended.

6. What does Psychology tell us?
Milgram’s Obedience
Studyhttp://learningat.ke7.org.uk/socialsciences/Psychology/PsyRes13/Milgram.htm

8. What breeds obedience? Emotional distance of the victim
Closeness and legitimacy of the authority
Institutional authority
The liberating effects of group influence

9. What does Psychology tell us?
Milgram’s Obedience Study
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

11. What does Psychology tell us?
Milgram’s Obedience Study
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Zimbardo’s Prison Study

12. Stanford Prison Study The issue of “Time”.
The U.S. Supreme Court has never limited the amount of time for interrogations.

13. What does Psychology tell us?
Milgram’s Obedience Study
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Zimbardo’s Prison Study
Loftus work on false memories
Confessions become reality

14. The interview What gets someone interviewed?
A belief of guilt.
How good are we at detecting deception?
College Students
Polygrapher
Psychiatrists
Secret Service

15. Training to improve the accuracy of detecting deception within the interview.
Accuracy Confidence
55% 5.9
46% 6.5
50% 7.05
Reid Technique
Kassin & Forge (1999)
Condition
Laypeople
Reid Training Police
Detectives

16. Reaction Time Tests No Witness SLOW FAST 35% 65% 0 12% - - Witness
35% % %
Witness
SLOW FAST
89% %
44% %
6% %
Confess
Internalize
Confabulate
Kassim & Kiechal

17. Case Study Marty Tankleff 17 years old The crime The interview Tactics
Result
1990 – 50 years to life.
Other issues
CBS

18. Studies of Innocence Often waive their Miranda rights
More open and forthcoming
Give more plausible denials which trigger harsher tactics
The Innocence – Confession paradox
Bluff of DNA evidence.

19. Innocents don’t confess!
2003 – Glen Harris, Peter Kent, Joseph Creedon