Thesis
Examining depression and anxiety as predictors of incarcerated adults' self-reported likelihood of falsely confessing
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Jun 2016
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-6809
Abstract
Given the high prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders among justice-involved adults and the negative consequences that arise when an individual falsely confesses (Klaver, Lee, & Rose, 2008; Leigh-Hunt & Perry, 2014), this study attempted to clarify the relationship between false confession propensity and internalizing symptoms, specifically depression, generalized anxiety, and phobic anxiety, in a sample of 87 incarcerated adults (56.3% female). The study tested a proposed theoretical model of this relationship, with suggestibility mediating the relationship between internalizing symptoms and false confession propensity. Participants who reported greater distress from generalized anxiety symptoms yielded more frequently to leading questions and more frequently said they would falsely confess to police during questioning vignettes, while those who reported greater distress from depression symptoms yielded less frequently to leading questions and less frequently said they would falsely confess to police during questioning vignettes. Phobic anxiety symptoms impacted how likely a person was to report he or she would falsely confess during an interrogation by interacting with, rather than increasing, a person's tendency to yield to misleading information. Those individuals who were both greatly distressed by symptoms of phobic anxiety and highly suggestible were more likely to say that they would falsely confess. The results of this study suggest that symptoms of generalized and phobic anxiety might affect the likelihood that a person falsely confesses. The results suggest that individuals experiencing symptoms of generalized anxiety, in particular, are more suggestible and, therefore, may be more vulnerable to coercive police interrogation tactics. Such findings, if supported with additional research, suggest the importance of including anxiety symptoms in the totality of circumstances analysis when determining if a confession is admissible. Ultimately, a better understanding of these phenomena could help protect individuals from wrongful convictions that can result from false confessions.
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Details
- Title
- Examining depression and anxiety as predictors of incarcerated adults' self-reported likelihood of falsely confessing
- Creators
- Kelley Elizabeth Durham - DU
- Contributors
- Naomi E. Goldstein (Advisor) - Drexel University (1970-)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- vii, 42 pages
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology); College of Arts and Sciences; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 6809; 991014632312904721