This study investigates how judgments of guilt are influenced by factual errors in confessions that either amplify or downplay the severity of the crime. Participants read a confession statement and police report in which either the confession was consistent with the police report, the suspect admitted to a worse crime or the suspect admitted to a lesser crime. Mediation analyses showed that, compared to consistent confessions, both types of directional errors reduced judgments of guilt. Inconsistencies that made the suspect look better – but not those that made the suspect look worse –also increased judgments of guilt via a direct effect. Confessions that contain errors that appear to exaggerate the severity of the crime prompt no higher judgments of suspect guilt; however, errors in confessions that are perceived to downplay the severity of the crime can prompt an increased perception of suspect guilt compared to a consistent confession.

这项研究调查了认罪中的事实错误如何影响有罪判断，这些事实错误要么放大要么淡化犯罪的严重性。参与者阅读供述陈述和警方报告，其中要么供述与警方报告一致，要么嫌疑人承认犯有更严重的罪行，要么嫌疑人承认犯有较轻的罪行。中介分析表明，与一致的认罪相比，两种类型的方向性错误都会减少有罪判断。那些让嫌疑人看起来更好的不一致——而不是那些让嫌疑人看起来更糟的不一致——也通过直接效应增加了有罪判断。如果供述中包含错误，似乎夸大了犯罪的严重性，则不会对嫌疑人有罪作出更高的判决；然而，与一致的供述相比，如果供述中的错误被认为淡化了犯罪的严重性，可能会导致嫌疑人有罪的感觉增强。