Interview Methods Flashcards
7 cards from real CPE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Interview Methods flashcards as text
Which interview strategy is most appropriate when a subject initially denies involvement but shows physiological stress indicators?
Answer: Transitioning to a theme development approach that acknowledges possible reasons for the act
Theme development offers moral justifications or minimizations that may lower the subject's resistance and encourage admission.
In Statement Analysis, the use of the word 'but' after a denial (e.g., 'I didn't do it, but…') is significant because:
Answer: It negates what preceded it and may introduce qualifying information
In statement analysis, 'but' functions as a psychological eraser that can undercut a preceding denial and signal missing information.
A subject describes an event in excessive present tense during a past-event interview. This may indicate:
Answer: The event is being fabricated or scripted in real time
Using present tense to describe past events can suggest the subject is constructing rather than recalling the narrative.
Which of the following is NOT a recommended open-ended prompt in a forensic interview?
Answer: 'Did you see the suspect near the door at 8 p.m.?'
The first option is a closed, leading question that suggests a specific detail, unlike the others which are open and non-leading.
Tactical empathy in an interview context involves:
Answer: Demonstrating understanding of the subject's perspective to build influence
Tactical empathy uses the acknowledgment of the subject's feelings and viewpoint as a tool to lower defensiveness and increase cooperation.
When a subject provides a confession during the post-test interview, the examiner should:
Answer: Document it thoroughly and have the subject provide details only they would know
Obtaining case-specific details known only to the perpetrator corroborates the confession and increases its evidentiary value.
The Reid Technique's 'minimization' step involves the interviewer:
Answer: Downplaying the moral seriousness of the act to make confession seem less consequential
Minimization offers moral justifications and suggests the act was understandable or accidental to reduce the subject's psychological barriers to confessing.