Examining the Link Between Moral Minimization and False Confessions

Police interviews are crucial for criminal investigations but sometimes involve the use of coercive tactics. One such tactic is moral minimization, where investigators provide face-saving excuses or rationalizations to justify a suspect's actions. The current study hypothesized that moral minimization increases the risk of false confessions due to pragmatically implying that a lenient sentence is forthcoming. Using a sample of 88 university students accused of cheating on an anagram task, my study examined if moral minimization led to false confessions, determined by participants signing a written confession. The results found that moral minimization was a significant predictor of false confessions (χ² = 4.47, df = 1, p = 0.03, BF10 = 4.12). This finding suggests that moral minimization may cause innocent individuals to falsely confess, urging police to discontinue its use until further research is conducted.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor dc:publisher

Carleton University

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Hachey, Joshua Richard Gregory

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © 2024 the author(s). Theses may be used for non-commercial research, educational, or related academic purposes only. Such uses include personal study, distribution to students, research and scholarship. Theses may only be shared by linking to the Carleton University Institutional Repository and no part may be copied without proper attribution to the author; no part may be used for commercial purposes directly or indirectly via a for-profit platform; no adaptation or derivative works are permitted without consent from the copyright owner.

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

10.22215/etd/2024-16317

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:carleton.scholaris.ca:20.500.14718/43370