Science-based interrogation training linked to more cooperation from suspects

Investigators used more science-based tactics after a five-day course, and those tactics were associated with more information and admissions.

Editorial illustration — not from the study.

Researchers evaluated a science-based interviewing and interrogation course developed jointly by practitioners and researchers. Forty-three investigators from three local law enforcement agencies took part in one of four five-day training sessions, and suspect interrogations conducted before and after training were assessed.

The investigators appeared to use more science-based tactics after the course. The use of those tactics was associated with greater cooperation, more information disclosure and more admissions or confessions. The researchers say the findings support collaborative efforts in which practitioners and researchers jointly develop and evaluate training.

What changed after training

After the five-day course, investigators increased their use of science-based interviewing and interrogation tactics. The use of these tactics was associated with greater cooperation, more information disclosed by suspects, and more admissions or confessions. The study included 43 investigators from three local law enforcement agencies across four training sessions.

Why the training matters

The findings address a practical challenge in changing interrogation practices in the United States, where science-based approaches have been difficult to implement widely. A course designed and delivered through collaboration between practitioners and researchers could help translate research findings into training that investigators use in practice. The study also links the use of these tactics with outcomes relevant to investigations, including cooperation and information disclosure, although it does not establish that the training itself caused those outcomes.

Evidence and limits

The study compared suspect interrogations conducted before and after training among investigators from three local agencies. This provides evidence about changes associated with the course in real-world settings, but the abstract does not describe a separate untrained comparison group or random assignment. The findings therefore cannot by themselves show that the training caused the changes or establish how well they would apply to other agencies or investigators. The abstract also does not report the size of the changes or how long they lasted.

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