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Good cop, bad cop

Good cop, bad cop, also informally called the Mutt and Jeff technique,[1] is a psychological tactic used in interrogation and negotiation, in which a team of two people take opposing approaches to the subject.[2] One interrogator adopts a hostile or accusatory demeanor, emphasizing threats of punishment, while the other adopts a more sympathetic demeanor, emphasizing reward, in order to convince the subject to cooperate.[3] It is an instance of the Reid technique.[4]

  1. ^ The Phrase Finder. "Mutt and Jeff"
  2. ^ Susan Brodt; Marla Tuchinsky (March 2000). "Working Together but in Opposition: An Examination of the "Good-Cop/Bad-Cop" Negotiating Team Tactic". Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 81 (2): 155–177. doi:10.1006/obhd.1999.2879. PMID 10706812.
  3. ^ Shonk, Katie (January 7, 2020). "The Good Cop, Bad Cop Negotiation Strategy". Harvard University. Archived from the original on March 18, 2019. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  4. ^ "Human Resource Exploitation Training Manual" (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. 1983. pp. 26–27. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 25, 2017. Retrieved June 10, 2021.

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