Rapport-building with cooperative witnesses and criminal suspects: A theoretical and empirical review.

Rapport-building is perceived by law enforcement as an essential ingredient to a successful investigative interview. Despite its professed importance and longstanding recommendation within major interviewing guidelines (e.g., the Cognitive Interview, the Army Field Manual), empirical studies have only recently examined its impact on cooperative adult witnesses and criminal suspects. To accommodate the burgeoning interest and corresponding research on rapport-building, this article reviews recent empirical literature on its role and effectiveness during investigative interviews. First, this review summarizes different definitions of rapport in clinical and investigatory contexts and the various rapport-building techniques recommended and used with witnesses and suspects. Second, this review synthesizes empirical research that has investigated the effects of rapport-building on cooperative witness accounts and its impact on the diagnostic value of information retrieved from criminal suspects. This review concludes with a discussion of public policy implications and recommendations for researchers and practitioners.