Communication Errors in Suspect Interviews : The Effects on the Relationship between Suspect and Interviewer

Prior studies show that a communication error does influence rapport negatively, especially if it is a judgment error (Oostinga et al., 2018). However, research did not identify yet the effect of multiple errors. This paper aims to fill this research gap and test if more errors affect rapport more negatively and how agreeableness might moderate this relationship. The study design included an experimental between-subject design with 36 participants. An in-person interview and a follow-up survey about rapport and the personality trait of agreeableness were conducted. The independent variable number of errors (zero errors, one error, five errors) and the dependent variable rapport were introduced. The personality trait of agreeableness worked as the moderator variable. Contrary to the expectations, the results showed that even though the three conditions differed in their perceived errors, the number of errors did not influence the level of rapport. Furthermore, agreeableness also did not moderate any effect of errors on rapport. Implications for further research are expanding the interview time and the revision of the choice of errors introduced in this study.