An Empirical Study of the Factors Influencing the Confession Behaviour of Criminal Suspects

The incidence of confession behaviour among criminal suspects in custodial situations and the associated factors were explored through an analysis of questionnaire data obtained from criminal suspects in custody at detention centres. A high overall confession rate of criminal suspects in the investigation stage was observed, particularly during the initial interrogation. A binary logistic regression model indicated that the factors associated with confession behaviour were education level, prior criminal experience, strength of adverse evidence, and information-gathering interrogation strategy. The findings of this study verify that the confession behaviour of criminal suspects is affected by a combination of individual characteristics, criminological factors, and contextual interrogation factors in the judicial and cultural context of China. The predictive model of suspects' confessions provides local empirical evidence that could inform cross-cultural research on the interactive process model as well as provide a practical basis for scientific, effective interventions and guidance of confession behaviour.