Expert to dissect psychology of police interrogations during Carey Memorial Lecture

Why do innocent people confess to crimes during police interrogations? This is one question that will be answered during the 7th annual James W. Carey Memorial Lecture at Grand Valley.

Featured lecturer, Kyle Scherr, associate professor of psychology at Central Michigan University, will discuss why innocence can still lead to injustice by presenting evidence from wrongful conviction cases and experimental psychological science.

Scherr, who also serves as the director of the Experimental Program at CMU, will present "Arresting Signs: From Miranda Waivers, Through False Confessions to Wrongful Convictions” September 27 at 7 p.m. The lecture will take place in Loosemore Auditorium (room 122E), located inside the DeVos Center on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus.

Scherr’s current research projects examine the psychology and laws surrounding police interrogations. His research explores the various causes for why suspects offer confessions during interrogations, and the psychological factors that influence suspects’ comprehension of and willingness to forego their Miranda rights.

Sponsors for this year’s Carey Memorial Lecture include: The Communication Studies major, School of Communications, Office of Multicultural Affairs, Sociology Department, Psychology Department, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Provost’s Office and Psi Chi National Honor Society.

For more information, contact Valerie Peterson, professor of communications studies, at (616) 331-2981 or [email protected].