Interviewer fatigue and the quality of interviews with child witness. Conducting high quality interviews with children is a challenging task. However, the quality of an interview with a child can greatly impact the accuracy of the child’s report. Researchers have consistently demonstrated what characteristics of high versus low quality interviews impact children’s accuracy. However, limited information is available regarding the effects of fatigue on interviewers’ abilities to conduct high quality interviews. REU students could evaluate the quality of interviewers with child witnesses as it relates to interviewer fatigue. As interviewing children is a highly challenging task, this research may demonstrate that interview quality significantly drops when an interviewer questions multiple children in one day.

The effects of fatigue on the quality of police lineups. As police officers engage in shift work, their performance in multiple arenas is likely to be influenced by fatigue. Years of research has been conducted regarding the proper procedures for conducting high quality police lineups. However, if an officer is tired or working under pressing deadlines, it is possible that the quality of the lineup may be significantly reduced. Further, we know that the quality of the interview can greatly influence rates of false identification. Therefore, the importance of high quality lineups is essential to protecting the rights of the innocent. REU student research could explore the influence of fatigue on the quality of lineups that police conduct.

The use of force and police fatigue. Police are often working in highly volatile situations. Further their job requires officers to use force on occasion. However, ideally police officers will use the lead invasive and aggressive tactic to adequately deal with situations they encounter. Student research will explore the relationship between the use of force and police fatigue. This study could determine whether police brutality and excessive force are more likely when police officers are highly fatigued. Further, students could evaluate rates of citizen’s complaints of police behavior and the relationship to officer fatigue.

The influence of expert testimony regarding the use of fatigue as an interrogation tactic on jury decision making. Researchers have shown that there are multiple interrogation tactics that may lead to false confessions. One such technique is questioning the suspect for many hours until he or she is exhausted. Research has shown that fatigued suspects are more likely to falsely confess to a crime that they did not commit than suspects who are not tired. However, there is very limited research relating to jurors’ reactions to confessions made after extensive interviewing. Further, an expert could testify about the problems with extensive interviewing. Possible student research will explore the impact of expert testimony on jurors’ decision making in cases involving extensive interrogations that lead to the suspect being fatigue. This research could be conducted using a mock trial paradigm.