good cop bad cop
Dual interrogator strategy
Good cop bad cop is an interrogation technique where two questioners alternate between friendly and hostile approaches to pressure a subject into cooperating.
One builds rapport while the other intimidates, making the "good cop" seem like an ally by contrast.
The phrase extends to any situation where people coordinate contrasting styles for persuasive effect: My parents always played good cop bad cop—Mom would yell, then Dad would come in all understanding.
- interrogationFormal, probing examination
- police interrogationOfficial suspect questioning
- role-playingActing out characters
- buddy copPaired-officer film genre
- interviewFormal questioning session
bad cop · strategy · carrot and stick · manipulation · technique · psychological · psychological pressure · bad guy · power dynamics · questioning · playing nice · deception · trust-building · ruse · compliance · confession · promise · persuasion
- oppositesopposite, opposites, antonym, antonyms, inverse
- negotiationbargaining, bargain, negotiate, mediation, compromise
- interrogationquestioning, interrogator, suspect, interview room, Miranda rights
- thriller tropesplot twist, red herring, cliffhanger, whodunit, femme fatale
- manipulationgaslighting, guilt tripping, blame-shifting, brainwashing, guilt trip
- power tacticspower play, power grab, strong-arm, strong-arming, strongarm
good cop bad copstraight talk
Honest, direct communication
straight dealing · cards on the table · what you see is what you get · transparency · authenticity
good, goods, goodness, goodly, badness, copped, copping, copper