This course is designed to enhance your interviewing skills by teaching you two highly proven methods of extracting accurate information from individuals:investigative statement analysis, a method for conducting a structured and systematic analysis of written or spoken words, and the cognitive interviewing technique, which can enhance the memory and recall of victims and witnesses.
Investigative statement analysis is used to gain valuable insight into a person’s motivations, which can provide you with both psychological and tactical advantages during the interviewing process. You will learn how to ascertain if the narrative provided is a pure and uncontaminated version of the incident and how to determine if information is missing, whether the statement is balanced and evenly paced, and what inconsistencies in pronoun, verb, and adverb usage can reveal. Most importantly, you will learn how to identify areas to direct your investigation and focus detailed questioning during follow-up interviews.
We will also teach you the art of cognitive interviewing. We will describe the flow and primary components of cognitive interviewing while teaching you specialized techniques to maximize the strengths and minimize the weaknesses of the human memory. You will learn why the ability to ask open questions without interrupting the narrative and deploying active listening concepts are vital for gathering and assessing information during your interviews. We’ll also discuss the stages of victimization, their impact on obtaining information and ways to overcome these obstacles.
Throughout the course, you will be required to participate in group and individual exercises to practice and demonstrate what you have learned.
Topics Include
- Miller’s law
- Verbally Evasive Expressions and Responses™ (VEER)
- Mirror of the Mind
- Obtaining a pure version/free narrative account
- Securing the statement
- Assessing the statement
- Identifying key elements in the statement
- Developing the statement
- Basic components of investigative interviewing
- Memory and cognition
- Developing and maintaining rapport
- Enhancing your active listening
- Personalizing the interview
- Use of open questioning
- Special issues with victims/witnesses
- Stages of victimization and the impact on obtaining information
- Timing and location of interviews
- Effective questioning techniques
- Memory enhancing techniques
- Key components of Cognitive Interviewing
Audience
Patrol officers, first responders, new and seasoned investigators as well as any others in the legal system who review or take written statements
Course Length
40 hours