NCJ Number
132845
Date Published
1991
Length
87 pages
Annotation
This manual explains how police officers can use 50 interrogation techniques that are based on the concepts of "brainwashing" to influence the emotional attitudes of a suspect or witness and to induce a confession or revelation of evidence without the use of violence or threats of violence.
Abstract
These psychological techniques use subtle approaches similar to those used in advertising and other fields and are intended for use when traditional methods have failed. Techniques include the substitution of words to minimize the seriousness of the crime in the suspect's mind; repetition of crucial words or phrases; appealing to authority; and using exaggeration, flattery, or logic. Other techniques include the "secretary" technique, the "hot confession" technique, the "conspiracy" technique, the "drunk" technique, the "yes or no" technique; and other techniques. A summary notes that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police uses this manual to train investigators, explaining that the techniques are used when the rules of fair play must be discarded and the interrogator must try to obtain the evidence or the confession regardless of the method used.