{"id":{"repo_id":"utc","oai_identifier":"oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-1556"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/utc/oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-1556","repository":{"repo_id":"utc","name":"University of Tennessee - Chattanooga","base_url":"https://scholar.utc.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Perceptions of confessions by juvenile suspects: effects of interrogation technique and suspect age","abstract":"Juvenile suspects are far more prone than adults to make false confessions. Two interrogation techniques known as Minimization (gentle, friendly approach used to gain suspect’s trust) and Maximization (coercive approach using harsh questioning and scare tactics) have been used frequently in cases of proven false confessions in juveniles. The present research examined perceptions of a juvenile suspect’s confession in four hundred sixty four participants recruited from psychology courses. They read a sexual assault vignette involving a 12- or 16- year-old male suspect and police interview excerpts utilizing either Minimization or Maximization interrogation techniques. Participants’ views depended on their gender, the age of the suspect, and the interrogation technique used. Contrary to hypotheses, the 12-year-old suspect was seen as more likely to confess when questioned with Minimization whereas the 16-year-old was viewed as more likely to confess when questioned with Maximization, Overall, participants did not believe juvenile suspects of either age understood their legal rights or the consequences involved in confessing.","abstract_html":"Juvenile suspects are far more prone than adults to make false confessions. Two interrogation techniques known as Minimization (gentle, friendly approach used to gain suspect’s trust) and Maximization (coercive approach using harsh questioning and scare tactics) have been used frequently in cases of proven false confessions in juveniles. The present research examined perceptions of a juvenile suspect’s confession in four hundred sixty four participants recruited from psychology courses. They read a sexual assault vignette involving a 12- or 16- year-old male suspect and police interview excerpts utilizing either Minimization or Maximization interrogation techniques. Participants’ views depended on their gender, the age of the suspect, and the interrogation technique used. Contrary to hypotheses, the 12-year-old suspect was seen as more likely to confess when questioned with Minimization whereas the 16-year-old was viewed as more likely to confess when questioned with Maximization, Overall, participants did not believe juvenile suspects of either age understood their legal rights or the consequences involved in confessing.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Villamarin, Kelsey Ana"],"institution":"University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Warren, Amye","Ross, David F.; Weathington, Bart L.","College of Arts and Sciences"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":null,"date_issued":"","date_published":null,"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:46:28Z","subjects":["Child witnesses"],"languages":["English","eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":["https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/416","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Warren, Amye","Ross, David F.; Weathington, Bart L.","College of Arts and Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Villamarin, Kelsey Ana"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2013-05-01T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","Chattanooga (Tenn.)"]},{"key":"dc:relation","label":"Dc Relation","values":["Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Masters theses","Text"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Child witnesses"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English","eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/416"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Dept. of Psychology","M. S.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Juvenile suspects are far more prone than adults to make false confessions. Two interrogation techniques known as Minimization (gentle, friendly approach used to gain suspect’s trust) and Maximization (coercive approach using harsh questioning and scare tactics) have been used frequently in cases of proven false confessions in juveniles. The present research examined perceptions of a juvenile suspect’s confession in four hundred sixty four participants recruited from psychology courses. They read a sexual assault vignette involving a 12- or 16- year-old male suspect and police interview excerpts utilizing either Minimization or Maximization interrogation techniques. Participants’ views depended on their gender, the age of the suspect, and the interrogation technique used. Contrary to hypotheses, the 12-year-old suspect was seen as more likely to confess when questioned with Minimization whereas the 16-year-old was viewed as more likely to confess when questioned with Maximization, Overall, participants did not believe juvenile suspects of either age understood their legal rights or the consequences involved in confessing."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Perceptions of confessions by juvenile suspects: effects of interrogation technique and suspect age"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Warren, Amye","Ross, David F.; Weathington, Bart L.","College of Arts and Sciences"],"dc:creator":["Villamarin, Kelsey Ana"],"dc:date":["2013-05-01T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description":["Dept. of Psychology","M. S.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science."],"dc:description.abstract":["Juvenile suspects are far more prone than adults to make false confessions. Two interrogation techniques known as Minimization (gentle, friendly approach used to gain suspect’s trust) and Maximization (coercive approach using harsh questioning and scare tactics) have been used frequently in cases of proven false confessions in juveniles. The present research examined perceptions of a juvenile suspect’s confession in four hundred sixty four participants recruited from psychology courses. They read a sexual assault vignette involving a 12- or 16- year-old male suspect and police interview excerpts utilizing either Minimization or Maximization interrogation techniques. Participants’ views depended on their gender, the age of the suspect, and the interrogation technique used. Contrary to hypotheses, the 12-year-old suspect was seen as more likely to confess when questioned with Minimization whereas the 16-year-old was viewed as more likely to confess when questioned with Maximization, Overall, participants did not believe juvenile suspects of either age understood their legal rights or the consequences involved in confessing."],"dc:identifier":["https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/416"],"dc:language":["English","eng"],"dc:publisher":["University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","Chattanooga (Tenn.)"],"dc:relation":["Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations"],"dc:rights":["https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en"],"dc:subject":["Child witnesses"],"dc:title":["Perceptions of confessions by juvenile suspects: effects of interrogation technique and suspect age"],"dc:type":["Masters theses","Text"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:46:28Z"}