Educing Information: Interrogation - National Intelligence University

2. Gender: Gudjonsson notes that approximately 85% of persons arrested
and detained at police stations in England are male. 328 However, several British
researchers have found no gender differences with regard to the rate of admissions
and denials. 329 Similarly, Leo found no significant relationship between gender
and likelihood of confession or self-incrimination. 330 On the other hand, another
researcher found a significant gender difference, with females confessing more
commonly than males (73% admission rate of females versus 52% of males). 331
3. Ethnic Differences: Phillips and Brown found that admission rates for
whites, blacks and Asians were 58, 48 and 44% respectively. 332 Interestingly, the
study also reflected that black and Asian detainees were significantly more likely
than whites to request legal advice. Even when the analysis accounted for this
variable, a significant difference remained between the confession rates of black
and white detainees. However, Leo found no significant relationship between race
and likelihood of confession. 333
4. Mental State and Psychological Factors: Although the data is sparse,
Gudjonsson has concluded that the only psychological/mental state factor that
predicts a confession is when suspects admitted to having consumed an illicit
drug 24 hours prior to their arrest. 334
5. Previous Convictions and Confessions: Gudjonsson notes that suspects who
have had several previous convictions are expected to be (a) more likely to know
and assert their legal rights; (b) more familiar with the probable consequences of
making self-incriminating admissions and confessions; and (c) more familiar with
the police environment and interrogations. 335 Consistent with these expectations,
Leo found that suspects with a previous felony record were four times more likely
to invoke their Miranda rights than suspects without previous convictions. 336
Invocation of Mirada rights, in turn, implies the termination of interrogation.
Consistently, Neubauer found that suspects with previous convictions were less
likely to confess to the alleged offense than first offenders. 337 However, other
studies have found no significant relationship between previous convictions and
the rate of confessions. 338
328
Gudjonsson, see note 110, p. 143.
329
See Moston, note 195; also see J. Pearse et al., “Police Interviewing and Psychological
Vulnerabilities: Predicting the Likelihood of a Confession,” Journal of Community and Applied
Social Psychology 8, no. 1 (1998).
330
Leo, see note 110, p. 291.
331
Phillips and Brown, see note 322, p. 105.
332
Id.
333
Leo, see note 110, p. 291.
334
Gudjonsson, see note 110, p. 144.
335
Id.
336
Leo, see note 110, p. 286.
337
Neubauer, see note 326, p. 103.
338
See Leiken, note 316; Phillips and Brown, note 319; M. Zander, “The Investigation of Crime:
A Study of Cases Tried at the Old Bailey,” Criminal Law Review (1979), 203-219.
169