CLEP Intro to Psychology Exam Prep

Answer: B - A detective using the minimization technique in interrogating a criminal will likely say “he probably provoked you first”.
Key Takeaway: The minimization technique in interrogating a criminal is designed to give him or her a false sense of security. To do so, the interrogator will most likely offer the criminal some excuses for their behavior in an effort to help them save face. This technique is designed to tease the truth out of the criminal while he or she is under the impression that interrogator understands his motivation, and even finds it excusable. Since many criminals tend to have a low assessment of their own guilt, they tend to believe the interrogator’s technique and begin to tell the truth about their crime.