The Reid Technique

The Reid Technique according to Douglas Starr is totally out of date. I agree with Starr because after reading and listening to the article Beyond Good/Bad Cop: A Look at Real Life Confessions there has been a lot of confession over the years that have been basically forced out of the suspects. The Reid Technique was challenged by a psychologist  named Salt Casein he labeled the technique as junk psychology. Casein then along with other psychologist started looking into the technique examining real life interviews and talking to people the technique. These psychologist agreed that this method was completely out dated and it was only confusing and making people feel uncomfortable. 

Open ended questions according to Starr is the best way to get information from people. This technique is called PEACE (Preparation and planning, engage and explain, account, closure and evaluate). In this technique, you don't ask complicated questions, the question are simple like a conversion between two people, they are opened ended, no one is accused of anything. The interviewer then takes notes, goes back, highlights key information, goes back again and if the suspect keeps changing the answer it is clear they are lying. In this technique it's also meant to find whats verifiable, and what it's not. It includes taking the suspect back step by step, and later they relax and little by little they give up more and more. 

I personally think the PEACE technique is a way better method than the Reid technique because in the PEACE technique it's more of a calm chill environment, making the suspect feel relaxed. They are not being accused or getting yelled at they are in a conversation talking about the incident and by talking they are either making stuff up along the way or telling the truth and by going back over and over they determine whether they did it or not. To me this technique is the most effective because its gaining the trust instead of feeling pushed against the wall and just being accused of stuff they did or not. Because of how harsh the Reid technique can be a few people started suing due to the position they were put into and how them being yelled and constantly being accused messed with their head and led them to say stuff that might've implicated them.

The film Scaredycat by Andy Blubaugh really did question the fact whether being in a violent or stressful situation messes with the recollection of thoughts or blinding the victim into a wrong state of mind. For example when Andy was jumped he says all men were African American, and because of this wrongful memory, he judged every African American and made them seem like they were all bad people. In reality the men that jumped him were not all African American they were mixed. In class we learned that the memory of people can be compromised, and in line ups the majority of the time they pick out the wrong person