A study of discursive interaction in Chinese police interrogation: Perspectives from Game Theory

Abstract

Police interrogation, as a means of criminal investigation, is based on discursive interactions by nature and intends to find out the truth of facts according to legal procedures. Although both forensic linguistics experts and domestic judicial scholars have done numerous researches on discursive interaction in court trial and police interrogation over the years, few researches are empirical, let alone based on Game Theory analysis. Based on the transcripts of the taped recordings of Chinese police interrogation, this paper does a data-based and theory-driven qualitative research. After analyzing the models of Chinese police interrogation which is a typical institutional language interaction from the perspective of Game Theory, this study shows that “Chicken Game” model is suitable to analyze discourse contest between police and suspect. That is to say, discursive interaction in the Chinese police interrogation is a process of “language game” The present study is expected to provide a new pragmatic approach ushering constructs of Game Theory.

Keywords: Police interrogation, discursive Interaction, Game Theory, application.