Why Torture Doesn't Work - 9780674743908

This new release presents a consequentialist, neuroscience based argument against torture. While he makes clear at the beginning his moral position against torture, O'Mara then puts this aside and addresses his argument to those who believe torture acceptable in some circumstances due to urgent need of the information it can elicit. The first chapter discusses the context of torture in the twenty-first century and briefly outlines the pro-torture argument. The author begins his own case with the neurological underpinnings of memory and executive function, with particular emphasis on the plasticity of memory, how encoding and recall contexts can result in retrieval of unreliable information, and the limited value of technology such as polygraphs or even fMRI in aiding veracity judgments. The center of the book focuses on the effect that pain, anxiety, and physiological stressors have on the brain and how this works counter to the goal of obtaining accurate information. He then flips to the interrogator's side of the experience, pointing out that interrogators rarely enjoy torturing and often suffer psychiatric impacts themselves, and discussing the famous Milgram and Zimbardo experiments as a basis for understanding why the practice nonetheless continues. In the ultimate analysis, O'Mara argues that torture can be effective for motivating otherwise despised actions, but is ineffective for obtaining accurate information, and offers a psychologically justified proposals for verbal interrogation strategy that is both effective and humane. Annotation ©2016 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)