BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS INTERVIEW Professor Lou Natali

ESTABLISH A BASELINE To evaluate normal response system

PURPOSE Do you understand the purpose of this interview? Direct responses are indicative of innocence. denials of knowledge are considered evasive.

GENERAL INVESTIGATIVE INFO To learn an alibi or a relationship questions should be broad. –e.g. cover the whole day, not just the time of the crime. not just the time of the crime. –The guilty will have a rehearsed alibi for a specific time.

MIX INVESTIGATIVE QUESTIONS WITH BEHAVIOR Provoking Questions –include question did you do it? –This may often catch the deceptive subject off guard.

WATCH FOR DECEPTIVE VERBAL RESPONSES Which are “bolstered, delayed, or evasive.” Nonverbal revealing responses include crossing legs, shifting in chair, or “grooming behavior.”

Follow denial with “do you know who committed the crime?” Evasive subject will distance self geographically and emotionally and will answer without giving the subject much thought. Truthful subject will spend time thinking about who might be guilty. Innocent subject “will sound sincere” and have given previous thought to the question.

WHO DO YOU SUSPECT? Truthful will supply names Deceptive will generally deny having and suspicions.

WHO CAN YOU VOUCH FOR AS INNOCENT? Innocent will readily clear suspects Deceptive “might be noncommittal.” because the guilty do not want to eliminate others from suspicion.

WAS THERE A CRIME? Innocent will agree. Deceptive will seize the chance to confuse the investigation.

WHO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT? Truthful will include self. Guilty does not like to point finger at self and will name unrealistic suspects.

ATTITUDE Innocent welcome the questioning. Guilty voice negative feelings about being a suspect.

EVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT, FANTASIZE DREAM ABOUT IT. Guilty want to talk about it to relieve anxiety. Truthful typically reject any possibility.

MOTIVE QUESTIONS Why would someone do it? –Innocent will offer reasonable ideas as to why. –Deceptive and guilty know why they did it and refuse to speculate.

WHAT WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE PUNISHMENT? Second Chance –Guilty has difficulty discussing punishment and is likely to give a second chance. –Innocent will call for jail and reject the idea of a second chance.

WILL YOU BE CLEARED OF THIS? Innocent express confidence. Refer to this personally. The guilty will give one word responses. E.g. “cleared.” And respond in the third person and to future consequences.

FINAL QUESTION What have you said to your family? It is human nature to tell loved ones to seek solace and comfort. It is very “suspicious” not to tell loved ones. And if they did tell, guilty will play down family reaction. The innocent will have discussed the question at length. Did family member ask about guilt? If yes this means they perceive it as possible.

The “Confession” of Michael Crowe