Current Investigator Tip

The Biggest Mistake We Make When Interviewing Job Applicants

Nov 22, 2021

In today's environment we are all experiencing some difficulty in finding people to staff the open employment positions in our organization. In fact, just recently the Wall Street Journal published an article...

Previous Tips

The Role of Eye Contact During Interpersonal Communication

May 01, 2000

When average people are asked about nonverbal communication, most will mention eye contact. The eyes are considered "the windows of the soul" and The Eagles warned that, "you can't hide your lying...

Eliciting and Evaluating an Alibi

Apr 01, 2000

One of the most efficient means to eliminate a possible suspect in a crime is if his alibi proves to be correct. This is only true, however, when the investigator is absolutely...

THE ROLE OF DEFENSE MECHANISMS IN DETECTING DECEPTION

Mar 01, 2000

The act of committing a crime is always associated with an emotional state. Most criminals experience some level of shame, guilt or loss of self-esteem. Others primarily experience a fear of being...

VERIFYING AN EMPLOYMENT HISTORY DURING A PREEMPLOYMENT INTERVIEW

Feb 01, 2000

It is well established that the best predictor of a job applicant's future behavior is that person's recent past behavior. This is particularly true with respect to their employment history. Has the...

Building Rapport During an Interview

Jan 01, 2000

Interviews in the popular television show Dragnet were often preceded with the admonition, "Just the facts ma'am." The emotional detachment displayed by Sgt. Friday, however, is generally not conducive to eliciting meaningful...

The Use of the Accident Scenario During an Interrogation

Dec 01, 1999

Richard Ofshe, a prolific defense witness who champions the belief that police routinely elicit false confessions, recently testified that the major criticism of the Reid Technique is its use of the "accident...

Arranging a Non-Custodial Interview

Nov 01, 1999

During our training seminars we advocate that if the option is available it is preferable to conduct a non-custodial interview rather than a custodial interview. To persuade a guilty subject to voluntarily...

THE INFLUENCE OF THE INVESTIGATOR'S DEMEANOR ON A SUBJECT'S BEHAVIOR

Oct 01, 1999

One of the principles of behavior symptom analysis taught in the Reid Technique is that the investigator's demeanor has a significant influence on the subject's behavior. For example, an investigator who becomes...

INTERPRETING VERBAL PHRASES

Sep 01, 1999

During an interview a subject freely chooses which words or phrases to use when responding to the investigator's question. This choice is not random or haphazard; it is carefully selected to offer...

Legal Considerations When Asking an Alternative Question

Aug 01, 1999

An investigator is asking a great deal from a guilty suspect to confess to a crime which may potentially involve substantial punishment. For this reason, the suspect must be allowed to make...

PARALINGUISTIC COMMUNICATION

Jul 01, 1999

The paralinguistic channel of communication is defined as speech characteristics falling outside of the spoken word. Just as a subject's nonverbal behavior can completely alter the meaning of words within a verbal...

Note Taking During an Interview

Jun 01, 1999

When participants see video-taped interviews at our seminars, it is obvious that our interviewers take a written note following each response offered by a subject. The Reid Technique advocates active note taking...

EVALUATING A SUBJECT'S POSTURE DURING AN INTERVIEW

May 01, 1999

The foundation of a subject's nonverbal communication is his posture. How a person's body is positioned in a chair often dictates arm and leg movements and, in some cases, even eye contact...

Taking a Statement From a Victim or Complainant

Apr 01, 1999

Many investigations begin with an interview of a victim or complainant. The success of the investigation, and subsequent prosecution of a suspect, will often depend on the accuracy and credibility of the...

The Importance of Pursuing Communication With Others When Mentioned During an Interview

Mar 01, 1999

Frequently, when an investigator asks a subject to recount the events of a particular date, the subject will include a telephone call, personal conversation or letter received. These communications can be gold...

EVALUATING HAND BEHAVIOR DURING AN INTERVIEW

Feb 01, 1999

Nonverbal communication often provides information about the sincerity or truthfulness of a person's verbal statement. In this context, hand activity is important for an investigator to evaluate during a subject's response to...

Importance of Privacy During an Interview

Jan 01, 1999

We have all had the experience where a person tells us something in private that he never would have told us in a public setting. It is well accepted that it is...

Distinguishing Between Admissions and Confessions

Dec 01, 1998

An admission represents a statement that tends toward proving guilt. On the other hand, a confession is a fully corroborated statement during which the suspect accepts personal responsibility for committing a crime...