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Oral Presentation: Information disclosure in sceptical witnesses: Examining the effects of relational and procedural rapport-building

23 June, 2022 @ 4:50 pm - 5:10 pm

Title: Information disclosure in sceptical witnesses: Examining the effects of relational and procedural rapport-building

Abstract

The beneficial effects of rapport in investigative interviewing are well-documented. However, it is unclear which rapport-building approaches are most effective. In this research, the effects of relationship-based rapport and procedure-based rapport on information disclosure by sceptical mock witnesses were examined. Participants (N = 117) watched a simulated burglary and then received statements manipulating their level of scepticism about the interviewer (present vs. absent). Participants were then interviewed via Zoom and asked to provide an account of what they had witnessed. Relationship-based rapport was established by displaying empathy and engaging in reciprocal self-disclosure, while procedure-based rapport was established by focusing on the interviewee’s procedural understanding. In the control condition participants were questioned without any form of rapport-building. Although participants receiving scepticism instructions did not score higher on a scepticism scale, the results show they disclosed significantly fewer correct details during the interview. As predicted, the relationship-based rapport protocol resulted in significantly more correct details than the control protocol (partial η2 = .101). However, the procedure-based rapport protocol did not yield significantly more details than the control protocol. Our findings suggest that eyewitnesses prefer an interviewer who is friendly and tries to find common ground over an interviewer who is strictly factual.

Details

Date:
23 June, 2022
Time:
4:50 pm - 5:10 pm
Event Category: