Interview & Interrogation Techniques Flashcards

What is the primary purpose of a pre-interview planning phase when a Range Officer suspects a rule violation?

Answer: To gather background facts and determine objectives before speaking with the subject

Pre-interview planning ensures the RO knows the relevant facts, has clear objectives, and can structure questions effectively.

Which nonverbal cue is most commonly associated with discomfort or deception during an interview?

Answer: Self-grooming gestures such as touching the face or neck

Self-pacifying gestures like face-touching or neck-rubbing often indicate stress or discomfort and can signal deception.

A Range Officer asks, 'Can you walk me through exactly what happened at Lane 5?' This is an example of what type of question?

Answer: Narrative invitation

Inviting the subject to narrate events in their own words is called a narrative invitation and yields richer, unscripted information.

When documenting an interview as a Range Officer, which practice is most important?

Answer: Writing verbatim quotes where possible and noting the time

Accurate, contemporaneous notes with exact quotes and timestamps preserve the integrity of the information collected.

During an interview about a negligent discharge, the subject suddenly becomes very quiet and crosses their arms. The best RO response is to:

Answer: Pause and ask an open-ended question to re-engage the subject

A pause followed by an open-ended question invites the subject back into dialogue and reduces defensiveness.

What does the term 'cognitive load' mean in the context of interview techniques?

Answer: The mental effort required for a subject to fabricate or maintain a false account

Fabricating a story requires significantly more mental effort than recalling the truth, making cognitive load a useful indicator of deception.

A Range Officer should avoid 'stacking questions' during an interview because:

Answer: It confuses the subject and makes it difficult to know which question they are answering

Asking multiple questions at once (stacking) leads to incomplete or evasive answers because the subject can choose which to address.