Many professionals within the police, child protection, and the criminal justice system are involved in evaluating the reliability of accounts given by individuals of their observations and experiences. Although an internationally recognised area of scientific investigation, little attention has been given to this topic in Finland. The present thesis provides an overview of relevant research in the area and includes five original empirical studies that explore the following questions: How does alcohol affect the reliability of witnesses' and suspects' accounts of their experiences? Which factors increase the probability of a suspect giving a false confession in a police interview? Is it possible to find indicators that differentiate between children's true and false witness statements? Which contextual and individual factors should be considered when assessing the reliability of children's witness statements? These last two questions are particularly relevant as expert testimony concerning the reliability of children's witness statements is routinely offered in courts even though the effects of basic moderating variables such as age and verbal ability on such evaluations have not been thoroughly investigated. Both students and practitioners of law, psychology, psychiatry and policing will find that the present thesis presents complex material in a practically useful manne
