IMPERATIVE SPEECH ACTS IN INVESTIGATIVE INTERVIEWS: IDENTIFYING PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILES THROUGH SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS

“INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION” 2025/1 63 DOI: https://10.5281/zenodo.17270905 IMPERATIVE SPEECH ACTS IN INVESTIGATIVE INTERVIEWS: IDENTIFYING PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILES THROUGH SOCIALPSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS Latofat Kadirkulovna Akhmedova Independent Researcher, Lecturer, Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies ABSTRACT This paper explores the function of imperative speech acts in investigative communication, aiming to identify psychological personality types of suspects or witnesses through their verbal and emotional responses. By combining forensic linguistics and criminal psychology, the study introduces an interdisciplinary framework to assess how suspects’ reactions to commands, requests, and warnings reveal behavioral patterns. The research employs discourse analysis of investigative dialogues, correlating them with psychological typologies. The findings contribute to the development of communication-based profiling tools, enhancing the effectiveness of interrogations within legal procedures. KEYWORDS: Investigative Communication, Imperative Speech Acts, Psychological Typology, Forensic Linguistics, Criminal Psychology, Discourse Analysis, Social-Psychological Mechanisms. INTRODUCTION In contemporary forensic practice, the intersection of language and psychology has gained increasing attention, particularly in investigative interviews. The role of speech acts—especially imperatives—has proven to be not only a tool of control but also a diagnostic instrument for uncovering the psychological traits of interlocutors. “INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION” 2025/1 64 This study aims to bridge a gap between linguistic pragmatics and criminal profiling by analyzing how imperative utterances function as psychological triggers and indicators. Recognizing and interpreting these speech acts through a socialpsychological lens can enhance both the efficiency and ethical quality of investigative procedures. 2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK The theoretical foundation of this study is grounded in Speech Act Theory (Searle, 1969), Forensic Linguistics (Coulthard & Johnson, 2010), and Social-Psychological Typologies (Eysenck, 1964; Cloninger, 1987). Imperative speech acts—commands, directives, and warnings—are viewed as pragmatic tools that function beyond surface meaning. These utterances often provoke cognitive-emotional reactions, which, when systematically analyzed, can reveal underlying personality types. This research also draws on Transactional Analysis (Berne, 1961), where language use reflects ego states (Parent, Adult, Child) and interpersonal dynamics. Within the context of investigative interviews, imperatives can activate defense mechanisms or compliance behaviors, offering a window into the suspect’s psychological profile. 3. METHODOLOGY This study applies a qualitative discourse analysis approach, focusing on real or simulated investigative interview transcripts.A corpus of 30 interviews involving suspects of varying psychological backgrounds was analyzed. The selection criteria emphasized: -Presence of direct and indirect imperative speech acts. - Detectable emotional/verbal responses (e.g., resistance, submission, confusion). - Availability of basic psychological assessment data (where possible). Each transcript was coded for: 1. Imperative form (explicit command, mitigated request, coercive threat). 2. Response pattern (verbal compliance, silence, argumentative deflection, emotional reaction). 3. Psychological inference (based on response style and typology frameworks such as MBTI, Eysenck, or Big Five). “INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION” 2025/1 65 The analysis employed NVivo software for thematic coding and correlation mapping. Findings were validated through expert evaluation by forensic psychologists and interview trainers. 4. FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS The analysis revealed clear patterns between types of imperative speech acts and the psychological responses of interviewees. Key findings include: 1. Direct commands often triggered defensive or resistant reactions among individuals with high levels of dominance or impulsivity. 2. Mitigated imperatives produced cooperative responses in introverted or anxious individuals. 3. Coercive imperatives resulted in emotional reactions such as fear or silence. 4. Linguistic markers correlated with specific psychological profiles. 5. A typology-matching model was developed to guide communication strategies. These findings suggest imperative delivery should be tailored to interlocutors’ psychological types. 5. DISCUSSION Imperative speech acts serve a dual function: exerting control and uncovering psychological information. Used appropriately, they improve interview efficacy and reduce resistance. This research integrates linguistic and psychological insights to aid profiling and proposes models for adaptive communication. 6. CONCLUSION This study confirms that imperative speech acts are valuable tools for psychological profiling in investigative interviews. Understanding the interplay between linguistic form and psychological response enhances interrogation outcomes while respecting legal and ethical standards. 7. PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS 1.Train investigators in psycholinguistic principles for adaptive communication. 2. Develop profiling guides linking imperative types to psychological traits. 3.Integrate linguistic analysis tools in investigative software. “INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION” 2025/1 66 4. Use ethical, psychologically appropriate imperative strategies to ensure valid responses. REFERENCES: 1. Berne, E. (1961). Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy. Grove Press. 2. Cloninger, C. R. (1987). A systematic method for clinical description and classification of personality variants. Archives of General Psychiatry. 3. Coulthard,M.,& Johnson,A.(2010).An Introduction to Forensic Linguistics. Routledge. 4. Eysenck, H. J (1964). Crime and Personality. Methuen. 5. Searle, J.R.1969). Speech Acts: An Essay in the Philosophy of Language. Cambridge University Press.