OIC Interview & Interrogation Techniques 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When conducting a cognitive interview, which technique helps witnesses recall more details about an incident?
- Ask leading questions to guide their memory
- Have the witness mentally reinstate the environmental and personal context of the event (Correct answer)
- Interrupt frequently to clarify inconsistencies
- Focus only on the most recent events first
Correct answer: Have the witness mentally reinstate the environmental and personal context of the event
Mental context reinstatement is a core cognitive interview technique that prompts witnesses to re-experience the scene mentally, improving memory retrieval.
Question 2: An Oregon inspector notices a subject is providing inconsistent statements during an interview. The best approach is to:
- Immediately accuse the subject of lying
- Document the inconsistencies and return to them later with open-ended follow-up questions (Correct answer)
- End the interview and file a report
- Repeat the same question louder to pressure a consistent answer
Correct answer: Document the inconsistencies and return to them later with open-ended follow-up questions
Documenting inconsistencies and revisiting them with open-ended questions allows subjects to clarify or reveal deception without coercion.
Question 3: Which non-verbal cue is most reliably associated with deception during an interrogation?
- Avoiding eye contact
- Crossing arms
- Inconsistencies between verbal statements and body language over time (Correct answer)
- Speaking quickly
Correct answer: Inconsistencies between verbal statements and body language over time
No single non-verbal cue reliably indicates deception; clusters of inconsistencies between verbal and non-verbal behavior over time are more meaningful.
Question 4: During a structured interview, the PEACE model's 'Account' phase primarily involves:
- Planning the interview questions in advance
- Allowing the subject to provide a free narrative account without interruption (Correct answer)
- Evaluating the truthfulness of the subject
- Closing the interview and summarizing findings
Correct answer: Allowing the subject to provide a free narrative account without interruption
The Account phase of the PEACE model gives the interviewee space to provide an uninterrupted free narrative, which yields the most accurate information.
Question 5: What is the primary risk of using the Reid Technique's confrontational approach in an Oregon investigative context?
- It takes too long to complete
- It can increase the risk of false confessions, particularly with vulnerable individuals (Correct answer)
- It is not legally recognized in Oregon
- It requires specialized polygraph equipment
Correct answer: It can increase the risk of false confessions, particularly with vulnerable individuals
Research has shown that highly confrontational interrogation methods like the Reid Technique can lead innocent or vulnerable individuals to provide false confessions.
Question 6: An inspector is interviewing a juvenile witness. Which adaptation is most important?
- Use technical legal terminology to be precise
- Ensure a parent or guardian is present and use age-appropriate language (Correct answer)
- Conduct the interview in an official setting without distractions
- Ask the juvenile to sign a written statement immediately
Correct answer: Ensure a parent or guardian is present and use age-appropriate language
Juveniles require additional protections including the presence of a guardian and use of language appropriate to their developmental level.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes the 'funnel approach' in investigative interviewing?
- Starting with narrow, specific questions and broadening to general topics
- Beginning with broad, open-ended questions and progressively narrowing to specific details (Correct answer)
- Asking questions in random order to confuse the subject
- Using closed questions exclusively to obtain yes/no answers
Correct answer: Beginning with broad, open-ended questions and progressively narrowing to specific details
The funnel approach moves from broad open-ended questions to specific closed questions, allowing for a free narrative before probing for details.
OIC Interview & Interrogation Techniques 2
When conducting a cognitive interview, which technique helps witnesses recall more details about an incident?