Interview & Interrogation Techniques Flashcards

Which interview approach focuses on building a full timeline of events before challenging any inconsistencies?

Answer: Cognitive Interview technique

The Cognitive Interview encourages subjects to recreate the full context of an event before any inconsistencies are addressed.

When a witness at the range contradicts their earlier statement, the Range Officer should:

Answer: Calmly note the discrepancy and ask for clarification without accusation

Calmly pointing out a discrepancy and asking for clarification preserves rapport and often reveals the accurate version of events.

What is 'strategic evidence disclosure' in an interview context?

Answer: Withholding evidence until the subject has committed to a statement, then introducing it

Disclosing evidence strategically—after the subject has given their account—maximizes the ability to detect deception through inconsistencies.

A Range Officer who uses excessive eye contact or invades a subject's personal space during an interview risks:

Answer: Intimidating the subject and causing them to shut down or become uncooperative

Physical intimidation can cause subjects to become defensive, dishonest, or unwilling to share information.

Why is it important for a Range Officer to use the subject's own words when summarizing their statement?

Answer: To avoid altering the meaning and to show active listening

Reflecting the subject's own words back confirms accurate understanding and avoids unintentional distortion of their account.

In an interview about a firearm safety violation, a subject offers excessive unsolicited details. This may indicate:

Answer: An attempt to establish a credible alibi or distract from key facts

Overly detailed, unsolicited accounts can be a sign of rehearsed deception or an effort to appear cooperative while diverting attention.

The 'funnel approach' to questioning in an interview begins with:

Answer: Broad open-ended questions and narrows to specific closed questions

The funnel approach starts wide to gather full narrative context before narrowing to specific details or inconsistencies.