No, not a false confession, but a very quick determination of guilt, before evidence was analysed showing Rudy's presence. A lot of observations and assertions were published everywhere. The point is the confirmation bias that affects even forensic lab work when everyone associated with the case is "sure" of someone's guilt.
There may be a connection between false confessions and a quick determination of guilt (why wouldn't there be??), but that has nothing to do with this case.
Knox was questions four days after her roommate was murdered. She was acting odd that evening, having skipped Meredith's memorial, and doing gymnastics at the police station. Her mother was arriving the following morning, and Edda's plan was to take Knox to Germany.
One and a half hours after arriving at the police station, Knox introduced Patrick's name, and provided an elaborate story about where they met, what she did, what he did, that Meredith screamed, that Meredith was sexually assaulted, and that Meredith was murdered. Knox described that while Meredith screamed, she plugged her ears with her fingers, and waited in the kitchen. That is a false accusation for the sole purpose of distracting the investigators. Knox fully expected that after accusing Patrick, she would be free to go (because that's how it works on CSI TV), and she could skip town with her mother in the morning.
Tunnel vision is a well known problem.
Confirmation bias sounds like a fancy term for an old problem. Police did not have tunnel vision in this case. If they did, Patrick would still be in prison.
Police did not have tunnel vision with Knox. Instead, each time they verified information from Knox, which is what investigators do, they discovered that she was a vicious liar. Knox's repeated lying, absence of alibi and evidence at the crime scene is what resulted in her arrest and conviction.
