Assessing Professional Rapport: Developing and Validating a New Measure of Rapport (Rapport-Pro) for use in Investigative Information-Gathering Contexts
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Brouillard, Celine. 2024. Assessing Professional Rapport: Developing and Validating a New Measure of Rapport (Rapport-Pro) for use in Investigative Information-Gathering Contexts. Doctoral thesis, Goldsmiths, University of London [Thesis]
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Text (Assessing Professional Rapport: Developing and Validating a New Measure of Rapport (Rapport-Pro) for use in Investigative Information-Gathering Contexts)
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Abstract or Description
Building rapport is consistently recognised as a crucial component for establishing cooperation and increasing information disclosure. However, rapport is a subjective concept, often associated with various interpretations regarding its theoretical and practical applications. A large body of research has promoted rapport by demonstrating effective behaviours or strategies associated with it which can enhance the quality and quantity of interactions between interviewees and interviewers. Despite the acknowledged importance of rapport across international and national guidelines that incorporate evidence-based strategies, there is still no consensus on what rapport is, how it should be evaluated, and how professionals should implement it in practice. Therefore, this lack of agreement obstructs the development of appropriate evidence-based training and guidelines, perpetuating inconsistencies in how rapport is perceived.
This thesis examines how rapport is evaluated across professional information-gathering contexts and aims to address current inconsistencies in its conceptualisation within these settings. Using a mixed and systematic approach informed by recommended practices in scale development and validation, this thesis develops a new measure of rapport—the Rapport-Pro – synthesising current research and theories of rapport. The Rapport-Pro consists of five components, each contributing to building rapport: (i) mutual connection, (ii) paying attention, (iii) building a relationship, (iv) being approachable, and (v) being professional. The psychometric properties of the Rapport-Pro were assessed, exploring the measure's quality in terms of factorial structure, validity, and reliability. The measure was found to be a reliable and validated assessment of rapport, showing signs of face, content, concurrent, factorial, and construct validity. Further, this thesis was the first to explore the underlying dynamics of each component and their interactions in building rapport, offering new insights into our understanding of rapport.
The Rapport-Pro has significant implications for theory, practice, and future research. These findings provide an up-to-date, reliable, and validated measure of rapport, addressing researchers' calls for advancing research despite inconsistencies in the interpretation of rapport. Theoretically, this thesis addresses neglected areas related to the optimal conditions for building and assessing rapport. Practically, the Rapport-Pro serves as a valuable toolkit for rapport-building strategies that can be directly implemented by interviewers, informing training programs, guiding professional practice, and facilitating knowledge exchange.
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Item Type: |
Thesis (Doctoral) |
| Identification Number (DOI): |
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| Keywords: |
Rapport, Investigative Interviewing, Scale development, Interrogation, witness, suspect |
| Departments, Centres and Research Units: |
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| Date: |
31 October 2024 |
| Item ID: |
37876 |
| Date Deposited: |
25 Nov 2024 15:07 |
| Last Modified: |
28 Nov 2024 18:19 |
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URI: |
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