Educing Information: Interrogation - National Intelligence University

cop’s wishes, a nasty, humiliating, esteem-deflating, or even
dangerous interaction with a bad cop will be the next step.” 535
The hypothetical bad cop need not even be mentioned explicitly,
but the threat should be clear. 536
5. Good cop in contrast to expectations of bad cop
The interrogator presents himself as warm and friendly to a
suspect “who expects to encounter coldness and hostility;”
this has the effect of “amplify[ing] the construed positiveness
of the” interrogator. 537 This technique is most successful with
those suspects who seemed scared, anxious, or suspicious of
the interrogator. 538
The strategy behind each of the variations was the same: “create a perceptual
contrast for [the] targets, which is proposed to accentuate the construed
positiveness of displayed positive emotions and the construed negativeness
of displayed negative emotions” in order to induce compliance in the target. 539
According to Rafaeli et al., three mechanisms came into play that made GC/BC
successful. First, the “accentuated anxiety” with which the suspect may respond
to the bad cop leads to “accentuated relief” in response to good cops. 540 As a result,
suspects may comply with the good cop’s requests to escape from the anxiety or
fear they feel during interactions with bad cops or expect to feel during future
interactions. 541
Second, the GC/BC contrast accentuates the suspect’s perception that the
good cop is kind and helpful, resulting in pressure “to reciprocate the kindness
by complying with the good cop’s wishes.” 542 This occurs because the “actual or
hypothetical contrasting unpleasant person” creates the impression that the good
cop’s positive feelings are “especially unusual and pronounced.” 543
Third, because the suspect develops “accentuated feelings of relief in response
to [the] good cop,” and (it is hoped) comes to believe he is kind and helpful, a
feeling of trust develops. 544 Once the suspect believes that the good cop is truthful
and “truly concerned for [the suspect’s] well-being,” it becomes easier for the
interrogator to convince the suspect that compliance is in his own best interest. 545
In essence, all five variations, as well as the three identified mechanisms,
rely on building rapport between the good cop and the suspect, much like that
535
Id., p. 763.
536
Id.
537
Id., p. 764.
538
Id.
539
Id., p. 752.
540
Id., p. 764.
541
Id.
542
Id., p. 764-765.
543
Id.
544
Id., p. 765.
545
Id.
196