Motivations for Denial during Police Interrogation: An Exploratory Study of Non-confessors Profiles

• In Event: Posters II

Abstract

Confession has been shown to play an important role in the corroboration of incriminating facts, to help solve crimes, and to lay charges and prove guilt. As such, research in this field has mostly focused on identifying factors and motivations that play a role in the offender’s decision to confess a crime during police interrogation. While denial of accusations during police interrogation may prove to be an obstacle to the progress of the investigation, the offender’s motivations not to confess, however, have not been subject to much research. Based on a sample of 111 adult males convicted and incarcerated in a federal penitentiary for a serious offense, the current study aims to explore and better understand the reasons explaining the decision to deny during police interrogation. Using the identified motivational factors, cluster analyses were then performed and helped identify three subgroups of non-confessors. Findings are discussed in light of the literature on crime confession and practical implications for police interrogation techniques are drawn.

Authors

• Andréane Bergeron, Université Laval

• Nadine Deslauriers-Varin, Université Laval