NCJ Number
178784
Journal
Behavioral Sciences and the Law Volume: 16 Issue: 4 Dated: Autumn 1998 Pages: 441-453
Date Published
1998
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Considerable attention has been paid to the psychology of confession evidence in recent years; while various factors have been used to define the types of confessions possible, most classification frameworks have focused on false confessions.
Abstract
An expanded framework is outlined using a decision tree model in which confessions are defined according to a number of dimensions, including whether a confession is retracted, veracity or truthfulness, legal culpability of the suspect, voluntariness, and specific nature of the coercion that might produce a confession. A proposal is offered for a new subtype of false confession, the coerced-reactive type. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of the implications of this conceptual model for providing consultation and expert testimony in cases involving disputed confessions. 27 references and 1 figure