A Reflection on the Evidence-Based Techniques for Detecting Deception in a Police Interview: A Systematic Review

Werne, Alex (2023) A Reflection on the Evidence-Based Techniques for Detecting Deception in a Police Interview: A Systematic Review. Master thesis, Psychology.

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Abstract

In investigative interviews, deceitful behaviour by offenders is common. If undetected, deception can lead to errors of justice, with grave consequences for the victims of the crime. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the evidence-based techniques to detect deception in an investigative interview. Following the PRISMA guidelines, studies were included if they (a) made use of an interview technique to detect deception, (b) applied a deceitful scenario, and (c) had law enforcement personnel or lay persons judge deception. The articles were searched via PsycInfo and the CASP tool for randomized controlled trials ensured sound methodological quality. Fifteen studies were included, of which four used police officers as raters of deception. Four technique categories to detect deception in an interview were identified, namely the strategic use of evidence (SUE), mnemonics, baseline questioning, and reverse order questioning. The findings seem most promising for the use of mnemonics and baseline questioning, with the SUE and reverse order questioning offering mixed results. Future research may examine whether these findings are robust across different cultures and legal systems and may then focus on building a strategy that combines the benefits of each approach. Examining a potential link between different personal traits and a specific technique also seems worthwhile, to tailor investigative interviews to the individual profile of a suspect. Keywords: deception detection, strategic use of evidence, baseline, reverse order, mnemonics, investigative interview

Item Type:	Thesis (Master)
Supervisor name:	Karsten, J. and Fereidooni, F.
Degree programme:	Psychology
Differentiation route:	Clinical Forensic Psychology and Victimology (FP) [Master Psychology]
Date Deposited:	06 Mar 2023 12:53
Last Modified:	06 Mar 2023 12:53
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/1768

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