Using Leon Festinger's theories of cognitive dissonance, Gino Arcaro relates a simple fact, one that is often minimalized by truth-seekers but in reality, is the key to obtaining a confession: "Everyone has a conscience." No exceptions. If you're alive, you have a conscience. The myth of "no conscience" actually means, "weak or dysfunctional conscience." Festinger further explains that a strong conscience is an interviewer's best partner because it activates the compulsion to confess. "You can't hide from inner demons; they have to be released." The power of a strong conscience has limitless lifting capacity. Appealing to the conscience means, "make the conscience functional and work." Triple meaning: make it work out, make it work right, and make it do all the work.
Arcaro, a former police detective, combines his practical experience with solid studies on the human condition, producing an easily-understood manual for anyone whose job it is to get the truth. One simple application of Arcaro's strategies is in the Human Resources Field, specifically during the job interview process. Law enforcement interviewers will also see True Confessions as a valuable tool; one that gives them a window into the psyche of a suspect under interrogation.