2014). The focus lies furthermore on the looks of the suspect: the more nervous or anxious he looks, the guiltier he seems according to this method. According to the research results of Meissner et al. (2014), information-gathering is better at obtaining a confession compared with direct questioning, but that the accusatorial approach increases both true and false confessions.

Results of the experiments by Perillo and Kassin (2011) indicate that bluffing has the same effects as the presentation of false evidence. They also imply that these confessions made because of bluffing are not likely to be detected by the interrogators of judges.

The well-known ‘Reid technique’ is often used during an interrogation. It’s a method where the police will use false evidence and reduce the anxiety associated with confessing by misleading the individual and making him believe he will get mercy, even when it’s not directly promised. This is a minimization strategy. The essence of this technique is that the suspect will make a rational cost-benefit analysis. The problem comes forth when false evidence is shown: if the innocent suspect thinks he will be sentenced anyway, making a confession will seem to have a better outcome than denying it. This way he can maybe get a reduced sentence because he was cooperative during the process. We can assume that this is what Roman Zadorov did in the Tair Rada-case.
Klaver et al. (2008) conducted experiments about minimization and maximization strategies. Participants had the highest false confession rates in the condition where they got interrogated with minimization techniques and where the plausibility of the accusations was very high.
Solution?
These researches prove the dangers of using some methods and that they deserve attention. An officer, a judge or a jury should always keep the possibility of a false confession in mind when making a decision. A solution to limit the effects could be using the minimization and maximization strategies mixed in the “good cop/bad cop” tactic. Different approaches to discover the truth should be used together instead of only using the Reid technique or the accusatorial approach, especially if the interrogated person is a minor or someone with mental issues. Also asking questions about concealed information is of great importance.