Interrogation

Interrogation, also known as questioning, is a formal method used to gather information.

Various groups use this practice to find facts about suspected crimes. Law enforcement officers and military personnel are common users. Intelligence agencies and organized crime syndicates also use interrogation. Even terrorist organizations employ these methods to get what they want. The primary goal is to elicit useful information from a subject. The techniques used can vary widely in their approach. They can range from building a friendly rapport to using torture.

Deception is a common tactic used during these sessions. This means the interrogator may use misleading information to get answers. In the United States, there is no law forbidding an interrogator from lying. They might lie about how strong their evidence is. They may also imply that someone else has already implicated the subject. However, some rules are changing to protect certain people. In 2021, Illinois became the first U.S. state to ban police from lying to minors.

Interrogators often look for verbal and non-verbal cues to detect lies. Researchers study how liars behave differently than truth-tellers. For example, liars often display significantly fewer smiles. They may also show less gaze aversion, which means they look at the person more. There are three main ways to understand this behavior. The emotional approach suggests liars change behavior based on feelings like guilt. The cognitive approach suggests lying requires more mental effort, leading to speech errors. The attempted control approach suggests liars try to act extra normal to seem believable.

Teams sometimes use psychological tactics like "good cop, bad cop." In this method, two interrogators take opposing roles. One person is hostile and uses threats of punishment. The other person is sympathetic and offers rewards. This pressure is designed to make the subject cooperate with the kind person. In the People's Republic of China, a different tactic is used called "wheel battle." This involves unrelenting, continuous interrogation by multiple rotating interrogators.

History shows that some interrogation methods were extremely harmful. For over 2,000 years, European states used torture to get information.

However, many experts believed this was not effective. A Roman jurist named Ulpian noted in the third century AD that people would tell any lie to stop the pain. In 866, Pope Nicholas I banned the practice because it went against religious teachings. Many European nations like France and Spain later returned to physical abuse for religious inquisitions. By the 18th century, the Enlightenment led nations to abandon state-sanctioned torture.

Despite progress, the 20th century saw a return to violence. Authoritarian leaders like Hitler and Stalin used torture on a massive scale. During the Cold War, the CIA influenced torture techniques to support certain regimes. Today, international rules try to prevent this. The United Nations forbids methods that impair a person's judgment. The World Medical Association also forbids doctors from participating in interrogations. Many countries are moving toward the Méndez Principles, which favor scientific and non-coercive interviewing.

In the United States, the legal system provides specific protections. The Fifth Amendment prevents people from being forced to be witnesses against themselves. Because of the Miranda v. Arizona ruling, police must read "Miranda Rights" to suspects. These include the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney. If police fail to do this, their statements cannot be used in court. There is also a movement to require electronic recording of all interrogations. This means recording the entire session from start to finish. Currently, states like Alaska, Illinois, and Minnesota require these recordings to ensure fairness.