Perceptions of interrogation techniques and personality traits of citizen judges in Japan
Perceptions of interrogation techniques and personality traits of citizen judges in Japan
Abstract
Purpose
This study examined public perceptions of diverse police interrogation techniques, complimenting the existing research focused on accusatorial methods. It further investigated the influence of individual characteristics on the acceptance of these techniques.
Methods
An online questionnaire was administered to the 1204 jury-eligible citizens and their responses were analysed to identify the factors of interrogation techniques. Further, the influence of personality traits (i.e. empathy and belief in a just world) on their perceptions was examined through regression analyses.
Results
The five approaches were derived from exploratory factor analysis: Collaborative/Respectful, Persuasive, Confrontational, Personal Rapport and Evidence Presentation. The Confrontational Approach was rated as the least appropriate, consistent with prior findings. Conversely, the Collaborative/Respectful Approach was deemed the most appropriate. The Personal Rapport Approach was rated the second least appropriate, suggesting that the public favours ethical cooperation over personal connections. Regression analyses showed that Empathic Concern was the only trait significantly related to all five approaches; it positively predicted acceptance of four non-confrontational approaches but negatively predicted acceptance of the Confrontational Approach. Notably, a belief in a just world only positively predicted acceptance of the Confrontational Approach. Participants’ experience as suspects or witnesses had negligible associations with the perception of interrogation techniques.
Conclusions
These findings highlight a nuanced public judgement of relational interviewing approaches and confirm that punitive personalities are uniquely associated with accepting aggressive techniques. The study emphasizes the importance of understanding public perceptions to ensure the fairness and admissibility of confession evidence in the citizen judge system.