CFA Cognitive Interview & Admissions 3

Question 1

When a subject suddenly becomes overly cooperative and agrees with everything the examiner says during an admission-seeking interview, this may signal:

Accepted Answer

A rehearsed compliance strategy to appear innocent

Answer

Sudden over-cooperation can indicate a rehearsed strategy where the subject attempts to appear transparent while withholding incriminating information.

Question 2

The 'change of perspective' technique in cognitive interviewing asks a witness to:

Accepted Answer

Describe the event as another person present might have seen it

Answer

Changing perspective prompts the subject to mentally adopt another witness's viewpoint, which can surface details not recalled from their own vantage point.

Question 3

In the context of fraud interviews, 'theme development' is a technique where the examiner:

Accepted Answer

Offers a moral or practical justification that makes confession seem reasonable

Answer

Theme development involves constructing a narrative that minimizes the moral seriousness of the act (e.g., 'anyone in your situation might have done the same') to lower the psychological barrier to confession.

Question 4

Which factor is MOST likely to produce a false confession during a high-pressure interrogation?

Accepted Answer

Extended sleep deprivation combined with false evidence ploys

Answer

Sleep deprivation impairs cognitive function and resistance, and false evidence ploys (telling suspects their DNA was found) dramatically increase false confession risk.

Question 5

A fraud examiner should document an admission by:

Accepted Answer

Recording exact quotes immediately, having the subject initial key statements, and retaining notes

Answer

Best practice requires verbatim contemporaneous notes, subject initials on key passages, and preservation of all recordings to withstand legal scrutiny.

CFA Practice Test

CFA Practice Test

CFA Cognitive Interview & Admissions 3