How likely would you be able to answer questions under pressure seated in a hard chair in a small, windowless, fluorescent-lit room? What about in a larger space with natural lighting and comfortable seating? In this episode of Proof Over Precedent, HLS student Spencer Thieme discusses interrogation rooms and the effect of a physical environment on stress, memory, disclosure, and false confessions. She also considers potential randomized controlled trials for studying interrogation room design.
Read the corresponding blog post.
Speakers:
- Spencer Thieme, J.D. Candidate, Harvard Law School
- Kristen Arnold, J.D. Candidate, Harvard Law School
Resources mentioned:
- Innocence Project at Cardozo School of Law
- “False confessions among suspects in police custody: Implications of anxiety and perceived stress”
- “A room with a view: Setting influences information disclosure in investigative interviews”, Law and Human Behavior
- “The influence of room spaciousness on investigative interviews”, Legal and Criminological Psychology
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Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal