Confessions and Denials and the Relationship with Personality

• NCJ Number: 207164
• Journal: Legal and Criminological Psychology Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2004 Pages: 121-133
• Author(s): Gisli H. Gudjonsson; Jon Fridrik Sigurdsson; Olafur O. Bragason; Emil Einarsson; Eva B. Valdimarsdottir
• Editor(s): Ron Blackburn
• Date Published: February 2004
• Length: 13 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

Utilizing four confession-denial categories, this study examined the differences in the personality and offending behavior of individuals who made confessions or denials when interrogated by police.

Abstract

Based on previous research during police interviews/interrogations, confessions and denials can be classified into four groups: true confession, true denial, false denial, and false confession. This study investigated the reasons and personality factors associated with these four groups of confessions and denials. The study hypothesizes that those individuals who made false confessions would be more likely than true confessors and true deniers to be disordered in their personality and have an extensive history of delinquency and offending. Study participants consisted of 1,080 male and female students from 10 colleges in Iceland. Study instruments used included: the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ); the Adult Impulsivity; Venturesomeness and Empathy Questionnaire (IVE); the Gough Socialization Scale; the Gudjonsson Compliance Scale (GCS); the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES); the Self-Reported Delinquency Scale; and the Background, Interrogation and Confession Questionnaire (BICQ). Study findings include: (1) 25 percent of the respondents reported having been interrogated by the police; (2) false confessions to wrong-doings to teachers and parents, and to criminal acts during police interrogation do occur; and (3) the false confession rate was 1 percent for the entire population, but 3.7 percent for those who had been interrogated by the police. The findings indicate that the more actively a person is engaged in criminal activity, and the more often they are interrogated by the police, the greater likelihood that a false confession is given to the police during questioning. Males were identified as significantly more likely than females to have made false confessions to teachers and parents, as well as to the police. In addition, false confessions and false denials were significantly associated with antisocial personality traits. References