Interrogation strategies, evidence, and the need for<i>Miranda</i>: a study of police ideologies

Abstract

The results of this study are based on self‐report data (N = 43) and face‐to‐face interviews (N = 18) with Texas police investigators reporting their perceptions of factors affecting the disposition of suspect interrogations. Results indicated that participants viewed the presence of physical evidence to be most important to clearing offenses, whereas testimonial evidence was deemed less critical. In the qualitative analysis, participants reported that confronting the suspect with evidence of their guilt and offering moral justifications were among the most effective interrogation techniques to eliciting suspect confessions. Seventy‐seven percent of respondents believed that the Miranda requirement was not an impediment to police interrogations. Results were discussed in comparison to past research, and in light of methodological limitations.