Preparing For The Interview
Everyone Wants To Talk
People's Words Will Betray Them
True Stories Come From Memory
The Shortest Answer Is The Best
Everything Has A Meaning
Use The Same Language
People Do Not Want To Lie
The Denial
Starting The Interview
Get Them Talking To You
Obtaining A Statement
Analyzing The Statement
Look At The Language
Specific Words
Unique Words
Unusual Words
Untruthful Words
Test Your Knowledge
Lesson One Test
Send Email
Introduction Page
Starting The Interview
Obtaining A Statement
After completing the initial phase of the interview where you are verifying personal data information and developing a rapport, the next thing you want to do is get a statement from this person. If you begin the interview with specific questions like "Do you know who took the money?" and the person answers with a "No" you will have little information to analyze. The more the person talks, the more information you gain and the easier it is to determine if the subject is being truthful. Therefore, it is better to get a statement from him at the beginning of the interview and save your specific questions for later on in the interview.
You can get a statement from the subject by asking a question that requires an extended response such as
"What do you know about......?"
The question could be better phrased by ending it with an exclamation point.
"Tell me what you know about......!"
With this type of question, the subject should give a lengthy answer. If the subject gives you a short answer, he is being deceptive. You know he is withholding information because you asked him a broad question.
If the subject is writing a statement, his statement should be written with a pen. If you give the subject a pencil, he has the ability to erase any portion of his statement. This would be lost information. He may also be able to erase so cleanly that you do not realize he made a change to his statement. Giving him a pen will prevent this. The subject should be told if he makes a mistake he should draw a single line through it. We can sometimes glean information from what the subject has crossed out. Even if the subject crosses out the mistake to the point where it cannot be read, this change of thought can sometimes be valuable information.
Finally, if you are taking a statement, write down word for word everything the person says. This can be difficult when interviewing someone at their door step or when conducting a lengthy interview. The main thing to remember is that a quote needs to be a quote. If you paraphrase, you are changing the language and you are recording something the person did not say. This means you are losing what may be valuable information.
Let's say you are looking for a fugitive. You interview his mother and she states,
"I have not seen him in six months."
That is exactly what you need to write in your report. She has not seen the fugitive in six months.If you paraphrase and write the mother has not had contact with the fugitive in six months, then you have changed her language and may mislead someone who reads your report. The mother is being truthful when she says she has not seen her son. However, she may be communicating with him through the mail, e-mail or telephone.
| Continue Lesson One with "Specific Words" |