Interview Techniques and Tactics

Tactics and Techniques of Successful Interviews

Interviewing is definitely an art form. There are a number of different tactics and techniques that law enforcement agencies utilize depending on the unique elements of each individual situation. Still, there are some techniques that prove strong in almost any situation. Thus, the technique of theme development and alternative questioning are incredibly useful across situational contexts, making them a tried and proven interview tactic.

One of the most successful interview tactics I have personally witnesses is what is known as theme development. This is essentially "offering the suspect a moral excuse and the investigator presents the suspect with reasons to confess by offering possible rationalizations, projections of blame, or even minimizations" (Heuback, 2009). It constructs a theme which allows the person being interviewed t go along with and thus feel more understood and accepted by the interviewer. Once a theme is established, the interviewer can use that to his or her advantage and help secure more information from the interviewee along the lines of that theme. This is done in several ways, depending on the nature of the situation and the person being interviewed, including rationalizing, blame projection, and minimizations.

Law enforcement agents can focus on rationalizing, which is essentially rationalizing the crime as being not that bad so the suspect does not feel the need to hide the fact they committed a crime. This is often useful when dealing with both suspects and individuals being interviewed for a number of reasons. First, it helps display a sense of empathy that allows the suspect or interviewee to create a bond with the law enforcement agent and establish a sense of trust. The interviewer sends signals that he or she understands why the suspect may have committed a crime through rationalizing it. Heuback (2009) provides an example where "offering the suspect a moral excuse and the investigator presents the suspect with reasons to confess by offering possible rationalizations, projections of blame, or even minimizations." This helps generate the sense that the person being interviewed is understood, which then allows them to open up more with this greater sense of trust created by this empathetic dialogue. Minimization works in a very similar manner. Here, the interviewer can minimize the potential consequences of the crime or minimize their suspected interest in the person being interviewed. Again, this establishes a sense of relief or trust in the person being interviewed and may allow them to open up more freely, thus providing the necessary information needed by law enforcement throughout the duration of the investigation.

Additionally, there is the strategy of projecting blame on someone or something else within the technique of theme development. According to the research, this strategy "relocates or transfers some of the blame to someone or something else entirely -- such as the victim or society" which allows the interviewer to "construct a message that suggests something else caused them to act as they did" (Heuback, 2009). Once this blame is seemingly put on someone or something else, the suspect or person being interviewed may have less resistance in discussing their role in the activity being questioned because they feel that the interviewer already someone or something else to blame for that action. This is also a strong strategy within theme development because it can help provide background for the case that might be able to be used in court to establish a motive. If someone feels hurt or victimized, which later caused them to react violently towards whoever victimized them, there is a background story that can serve as a motive, even if the person does not admit to actually committing the crime that took place. Thus, law enforcement can still extract useful information within the context of the interview without necessarily getting a clean confession. As such, using blame projections within theme development can be useful for a number of reasons. It helps establish trust, but also provides context which can be used to create a motive.

Theme development is a multi-faceted interviewing technique that works in a wide variety of contexts. It is incredibly flexible, allowing the interviewer to maneuver the interviewee to open up with less hesitation and restraint because of an increased sense of trust or confidence. This is a tactic that works with both suspects and witnesses, allowing law enforcement to manipulate certain contexts in order to push for certain adaptation of themes. Ultimately, it is the sheer flexibility of this tactic that adds to its overall success.

Next, there is the tactic of alternative questioning. This is a technique that can be utilized at any point in an interview, but is most effective when a suspect is about to confess. According to the research, "the key here is to present the suspect with a choice between two possible explanations for why the crime was committed. In this case, only one choice is more attractive than the other" (Heuback, 2009). Interviewers can offer a more reasonable explanation, one which makes the suspect look less demonized but still guilty. When these two alternatives are provided to the suspect during the context of the interview, he or she may think that the interviewer knows something more than they do. This may ultimately help persuade the suspect to go with the least damaging path, but one which still allows them to profess their guilt in the form of a confession to one of the alternative scenarios provided by the interviewer.