Non-coercive interview techniques are more effective in securing meaningful information from terror suspects according to an international study by Charles Sturt University (CSU) researchers.

Professor Jane Goodman-Delahunty, Research Professor at the CSU School of Psychology and the CSU Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security, and her colleagues, aimed to uncover the most productive interviewing and interrogation techniques to identify best practices and validate the most successful.

"In this era of international terrorism, and as the world digests the US Senate Committee report on post-9/11 use of torture by the CIA, the significance of evidence-based best practice interview techniques has heightened importance for government agencies and society," Professor Goodman-Delahunty said.

Professor Goodman-Delahunty notes that while a wide range of interview strategies have been identified, there are two main types; the more coercive accusatorial techniques to secure confessions predominantly used in North America and Asia, and the non-coercive, rapport-based techniques used to gather information that are practised in countries such as Australia, Norway and the UK.

She says interviewing strategies can be divided into four main types: legalistic, physical, cognitive and social, which can each be applied in either a coercive or a non-coercive manner.

The study consisted of private semi-structured interviews with 64 people from five countries; Australia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Norway. Thirty-four were law enforcement practitioners experienced in conducting interviews with high-value detainees, and 30 were detainees who had been questioned for alleged terror-related activities.

"Responses from both practitioners and detainees confirmed that non-coercive interview techniques were perceived as most efficient and effective in securing meaningful information," Professor Goodman-Delahunty said.

"Social strategies, such as rapport-building and procedural fairness, were associated with earlier disclosures and reciprocity with later disclosures. Detainees were 14 times more likely to disclose information earlier in an interview when the interviewer used rapport-building strategies.

"Comfortable non-coercive physical interview settings were associated with an increase in disclosures of incriminating evidence by detainees, whereas coercive techniques were viewed as counterproductive, and generally yielded false or less meaningful information, and fewer disclosures.

"This study confirms growing cross-national consensus about effective non-coercive interview practices, and highlights the importance of social influence, or rapport-based interpersonal relationships between interviewers and suspects.

"The findings should increase the confidence of practitioners and policy-makers in reliance on non-coercive interview strategies in high stakes interviews."

Professor Goodman-Delahunty said this study reinforced the importance of considering both the perspective of the police and detainees within the Interaction Process Model not only to increase the scientific foundations of the findings but also to ensure safe and humane practices with persons in custody.

This study is published online as: Goodman-Delahunty J, Dhami MK, and Martschuk N (2014). Interviewing high value detainees: Securing cooperation and disclosures. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 28 (6), 883-897.

Another article that discusses the effectiveness of non-coercive social persuasion techniques is available online  by Goodman-Delahunty J, and Howes LM, (2015).  Social persuasion to develop rapport in high stakes interviews: A qualitative analysis of Asian-Pacific policing practices. Policing & Society: An International Journal of Research and Practice, 25.