Handling
Deception (7.5
Hours)
Course
Number: CR-555
Course Length: 3 Days or 4 Separate Blocks
Classes
are available on a limited basis.
The interviewing
series consists of three complete days of instruction in the art
and science of gathering accurate and more complete information
from persons by means of oral interviews and assessing non-verbal
communication. This involves oral interaction, interpretation
of non-verbal behaviors, and assessment of deception. This process
is discussed from the standpoint of various interviewing situations
including mere encounters, traffic stops, vehicle collision investigations,
interviews of victims and witnesses, interventional interviews,
and interrogations of criminal suspects. Beginning with Interviewing
I, and progressing through Interviewing IV, the participant explores
the alternatives available for obtaining information from those
who wish to furnish assistance, as well as those who attempt to
conceal information. Each successive workshop builds on the preceding
one, but is complete by itself. Through the use of videos, demonstrations,
and classroom exercises, participants learn how to prepare for
interviews, assess subjects, and conduct routine and formal interviews.
Participants review and assess actual interviews and critique
them for proper application of strategy and tactics. Interviewing
methods introduced are discussed within the range of routine interviews
to the interrogation of a suspect in custody.
Interviewing
IV: Handling Deception is the last of the interviewing
series, and covers an in-depth analysis of the various forms of
deception and how to deal with them. Participants learn the major
causes of deception and the five basic kinds of deception in interviews.
They discuss the five stages of an interrogation of a guilty suspect,
as well as factors that affect the selection of the proper approach
to an interrogation. The James-Lange Theory of Emotion is presented
as a model to be applied to interviews of all types to detect
stress that may be the result of deception. Participants learn
to apply the stress reaction of “fight – flight –
freeze” to deception detection, and learn to detect anxiety,
leakage, and other symptoms of the fear of detection. Topics include
deception indicators such as those seen in oral statements, oral
responses to questions, “non-responses”, posture,
attitude, specific body movements, and other indirect indicators.
Participants become able to assess the diminished responses inherent
in certain types of suspects, and learn how to question them.
The traits, attitudes, and defenses of the untruthful suspect
are explored and recommendations made for improving communications
with them. Contents include the employment of empathy, observational
effects of stress, reasons for deception, indicators of deception,
development of admissions, indicators of a pending confession,
avoiding false confessions, and interviewing problems with sociopaths
and psychopaths. Several exercises involve the assessment of segments
of actual cases and discussing videotaped interviews of a person
charged in a famous homicide case. Other videos are used to permit
participants to detect deceptive clues covered throughout the
training series.