A Sociological Case Study of Criminal Interrogation Techniques

This research explores how investigative techniques of interrogation destroy a subject’s sense of self and guide them to make inculpatory statements or confessions to be used in a Court of Law. The main theory to be used in this work is the theory of the self by William James. This theory is found in his 1890 book The Principles of Psychology. He divides the self into two classes. First are the concepts of the material self, social self, and spiritual self. The second category is the underlying structure which he calls the Pure Ego. When the parts of one’s self are attacked, one’s ability to synthesize these components into a coherent sense of identity becomes problematic and makes one vulnerable. When one develops abnormalities caused by either exterior or interior forces, “mutations of the self” may occur. My study is a qualitative approach aimed at analyzing actions and reactions in interrogation in the context of the theories of the self. In the study, I will be reviewing interrogation manuals employed by law enforcement and military special investigators. The study will document how one’s sense of self is gradually manipulated through each step. As a supplement, various examples from footage of military criminal interrogations that became exhibits in Courts Martial cases will be used to document how interrogation practices are implemented. Lastly, excerpts from official records of trial in which both the special investigators and the accused spoke about what actions occurred in the interrogation room and their effect or purpose