How we change what others think, feel, believe and do

Interrogation

Techniques > Interrogation

Interrogation is a highly emotive subject that brings up pictures of spies, terrorists and criminal masterminds. Yet it is a reality of both the modern world and past ages and is used by police, lawyers, parents and suspicious partners as well as the military. The pages here include an exploration of some aspects of this subject.

• Interrogation Is...: Description and discussion.
• Rules of Interrogation: Rules of the game for both interrogator and respondent.
• Four Rules for Interrogators: Key things to get what you seek.
• Rules for Respondents: If you need to resist interrogation.
• Four Stages of Interrogation: Formation, preparation, interaction and completion.
• Interrogation Questions: Questions that lead to answers.
• Interrogation Tactics are many, and include:
  • Already Know: Say that you already know what is required.
  • Authority and Power: Play on symbolic authority.
  • Dire Consequences: Exaggerate the bad things that may happen.
  • Direct Question: Just ask the question.
  • Easiest Way: Exchange required information for release.
  • Extreme Tactics: Used in military and other areas.
  • False Replay: Repeat their story incorrectly.
  • Friends and Family: Leverage emotional relationships.
  • Good Cop, Bad Cop: Classic hurt and rescue.
  • Informality: Being their friend and catching them in vulnerable moments.
  • Inquisition: Sustaining an ideology through confession.
  • Lie Detectors: Using a polygraph or other machines to detect lies.
  • News: Allow them filtered contact with the outside world.
  • Nobody Cares: Show them that they have been abandoned.
  • Only Way: There is one choice: confession or some form of extinction.
  • Over-accusing: Make them feel indignant so they correct you.
  • Rapid Fire: Ask many questions, quickly.
  • Silence: Just wait. That's all.
  • Silent Supporter: Subtle lie detection.
  • Story Reverse: Get them to tell you their story backwards.
  • Sympathy: Be sympathetic to their situation.
  • Truth Switching: To identify lies.

There is a significant literature on interrogation, although much of this is primarily available to professional organizations such as the police and the military.

Those who are likely to be interrogated, particularly the more well-organized groups, will have a strong understanding of interrogation methods and will be trained in counter-interrogation methods to help them withstand many interrogation techniques. The basic things described here will bring no surprises to such people.

See also

Power, Negotiation, Appeal to Fear, Questioning techniques, Stress, Coping Mechanisms, Closing techniques, False Memory Syndrome, Detecting lies, Persistence principle, Soft Power, Lying, Conversion techniques

Buckwalter, A. (1983). Interviews and Interrogations. Boston: Butterworth Publishers

Inbau, F.E., and Reid, J.E. (1967). Criminal Interrogation and Confessions, (second edn). Baltimore: The Williams & Wilkins Company

Mackey, C. (2004). The Interrogator's War, London: John Murray

Royal, R.F. and Schutt, S.R. (1976). The Gentle Art of Interviewing and Interrogation. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall

Wagenaar, W.A., van Koppen, P.J. and Crombag, H.F.M., (1993). Anchored Narratives: The Psychology of Criminal Evidence. Hertfordshire, UK: Harvester Wheatsheaf