Conversational Maxims of Operation Targets in Police Investigative Interviews

Abstract

The study deals with the conversational maxims of operation targets in police investigative interviews. This study attempted to investigate the types of conversational maxims (obedience and violations), the realization and the reasons why those conversational maxims occurred in police investigative interviews by using the theory of conversational maxims. This study was conducted by using descriptive qualitative design. The source of data in this study were the operation targets which investigated by the police and the data were taken from five episodes of The Police reality show Trans 7. The data of this study were clauses consist of conversational maxim obedience and violation in police investigative interview which were collected by using documentary technique. The clauses were downloaded and transcribed in order to be analysed. Then, the data were analysed by using interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldana. The findings show that all types of maxims namely maxim of quality, maxim of quantity, maxim of manner, and maxim of relevance were occurred during investigative interviews. The conversational maxims are mostly to be fulfilled rather than violated by the operation targets. It might be due to the power possessed by the police, so the operation targets tried to give the best contribution to what police asks. However, the most dominant type of maxim obedience is Maxim of Quantity, meanwhile the most dominant type of maxim violation is Maxim of Quality. The obedience of conversational maxims in police investigative interviews were realized by sufficient information, direct and un doubtful answer, being relevance and brief and orderly response. However, the violation of conversational maxims were realized through giving false information, overstatement, vagueness, presuppose, rhetorical question, understatement, using swear word, giving association clue, ambiguous, repeated question, avoidance and giving hints. However, the most dominant realizations of maxim obedience is provide sufficient information, the most dominant realizations of maxim violation is giving false information. There are three reason of conversational maxim obedience in police investigative interview, they are building one’s belief, convincing the hearer and satisfying the hearer. Meanwhile, the reason of conversational maxim violation are avoid sanction, building one’s belief, convincing the hearer, clarifying something, defend himself, avoid giving wrong information, avoid further questioning, saving face, hide the truth and satisfying the hearer. However, the most dominant reasons of maxim obedience is building one’s belief. It was because the operation targets tried to get the trust from the police, meanwhile the most dominant reasons of maxim violation is avoid sanctions. It was because the operation targets afraid of being punished by the police.