Review shows high suggestibility increases false confessions in criminal suspects, indicating a need for careful interview techniques.
People are most likely to confess to a crime that they did not commit if they are highly suggestible. People are somewhat likely to confess to a crime that they did not commit if they are highly compliant. Suggestive questions should be avoided in police interviews with suspects as they can lead to false confessions and miscarriages of justice.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Otgaar et al. (2025) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: