Rapport Operationalized as a Humanitarian Interview in Investigative Interview Settings

Abstract

This study describes and tests an empirical-based theoretical model of rapport in an investigative interview context. Essential in this study is whether rapport, operationalized as the humanitarian interview, in two interviews with a six-month retention interval, had any causal effects on the respective memory performance of 146 and 127 interviewees. Independent-samples t‑tests revealed, on both occasions, that a humanitarian rapport interview led to a larger amount of reported information altogether, with more central and peripheral information, than a dominant non-rapport interview did. Regardless of the interview approach, mixed between-within analysis of variance showed a substantially larger amount of reported information in the first interview than the second. The amount of false information reported in both interviews was statistically invariable, regardless of interviewing style.

Key words:

• humanitarian interview
• interrogation
• investigative interviewing
• memory
• rapport

Acknowledgements

The study has been inspected and approved by the Regional Ethical Review Board, Lund, Sweden (Dnr: 2009/212). The research was supported by Grants from Kristianstad University, the Skåne County Police and Dell in Sweden.

Note

Notes

1. The software was developed by Daniel Block, Master of Engineering.