CFI Psychological Aspects of Interviewing 3

Question 1

When a victim of repeated trauma displays flat affect during an interview about abuse, the forensic interviewer should primarily consider:

Accepted Answer

Dissociation or emotional numbing as a known trauma response

Answer

Flat affect is a recognized symptom of dissociation and emotional numbing, both common responses to chronic or severe trauma, not indicators of fabrication.

Question 2

The 'funnel approach' in forensic interviewing refers to:

Accepted Answer

Narrowing questions from broad open-ended to specific as needed

Answer

The funnel approach begins with open-ended, free-recall prompts and gradually moves to more focused questions only as necessary to clarify details.

Question 3

Which psychological principle explains why interviewees are more likely to disclose sensitive information after first agreeing to small, less-threatening requests?

Accepted Answer

Foot-in-the-door technique

Answer

The foot-in-the-door technique leverages commitment and consistency; small initial agreements lower resistance to subsequent larger disclosures.

Question 4

An interviewer who unconsciously nods and smiles when a subject's account aligns with the case theory is demonstrating:

Accepted Answer

Interviewer contamination through reinforcement

Answer

Nonverbal reinforcement by the interviewer can shape the subject's narrative toward the interviewer's expectations, contaminating the account.

Question 5

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can affect a witness's testimony reliability primarily by:

Accepted Answer

Fragmenting memory storage and creating gaps or distortions in recall

Answer

PTSD disrupts normal memory consolidation, leading to fragmented, disjointed recall and potential gaps or distortions rather than complete accurate narratives.

(CFI) Certified Forensic Interviewer Practice Test

(CFI) Certified Forensic Interviewer Practice Test

CFI Psychological Aspects of Interviewing 3