Personality and situational correlates of false confessions.

Abstract

Personality correlates, such as the need to belong, unstable self-esteem, and insecure-anxious attachment style may predict false confessions and internalization. Study 1 examined the influence of these personality correlates. Situational correlates, such as social exclusion and interrogation tactics may predict false confessions and internalization. Social exclusion may put individuals at risk for falsely confessing through the self-regulation deficits that can follow exclusion. Interrogation tactics, such as minimization, increase the likelihood of confessing. Study 2 examined the effects social exclusion and interrogation tactics have on false confessions. Results indicate that insecure-anxious attachment style predicts false confessions. Further analyses reveal that social exclusion predicts the likelihood of falsely confessing, as do minimization and maximization.