Definition
An interrogation method is a structured technique for questioning suspects in a criminal investigation. Two broad traditions dominate. Accusatorial methods — exemplified by the US-developed Reid Technique — presume guilt, confront the suspect, minimise the moral implications of confessing, and apply psychological pressure to elicit admission. Information-gathering methods — exemplified by the UK PEACE model — treat the interview as a structured exploration in which rapport-building, open questions, and disclosure of evidence guide the suspect to talk.
The choice of method is not stylistic. Decades of laboratory and field research show that the two approaches produce different yield-versus-error trade-offs: accusatorial styles raise the rate of true confessions modestly while raising false-confession rates substantially; information-gathering styles produce comparable true-confession rates with much lower false-confession risk.
Why it matters
Where it shows up
Interrogation research underpins national police-interview standards (UK, Norway, New Zealand have all moved to information-gathering models), professional accreditation, appropriate-adult schemes for vulnerable suspects, and ongoing reform efforts in the US.