Competence to Confess: Measuring Understanding and Suggestibility of Defendants With Mental Retardation

Abstract

Groups of individuals with or without mental retardation, all of whom were currently on probation, were tested with measures of comprehension of Miranda rights and of suggestibility. As in previous work, participants with mental retardation were found to be less able to comprehend their Miranda rights. In addition, they were significantly more likely to respond to suggestive questioning and to change their answers. Significant correlations were found between measures of comprehension of Miranda rights and measures of suggestibility. Implications of these results were discussed.