Interviewing

Warming-up.

In your own words try to explain the content of the questions used in interviewing:

The open-ended question.

The specific-closed question.

Leading question.

Non-leading question.

Forced-choice question.

Read the following text and check if your ideas of the notions mentioned above were right.

Make sure you understand the meaning of the following words and word-combinations:

to be in custody

to limit the scope of the answer

to give a narrative answer

to elicit a particular piece of information

an incorrect assumption

Interviewing

Interviewing a witness is different from interrogating a witness in that during an interview, the witness is not in custody, and s/he (the witness) has a right to end the interview and get up and leave. But there is a fine line between the two. For example, interviews often become interrogations. But generally speaking, if someone is being interrogated, s/he is in police custody, and they are not free to leave. Interviews are conducted in order to gain information or intelligence about something, and they are not custodial. If someone is interrogated, they are typically a suspect in a crime, they are not free to leave, and they are in police custody. If someone is interviewed and they become a suspect, the police will shift into conducting an interrogation, at which point they suspect is no longer free to leave.

Questions used in interviewing

1.The open-ended question.

This is a question that does not limit the scope of the answer. The witness will usually give a narrative answer. When taking a statement it is best to start with these types of questions.

Examples Q: ‘What happened after he struck you?’

Q: ‘Why did you leave your home?’

Q: ‘Where did you go after you ran away?’

This type of question is particularly useful when you want the witness to tell the story or part of it in his or her own words. It helps to move the story along. It can, however, allow the witness too much scope for ‘rambling’ off the point and overuse of open questions risks a loss of control.

2. The specific-closed question.

This is a question which limits the scope of the answer. It is particularly useful when you are seeking to elicit a particular piece of information or detail from a witness. It allows much greater control of the witness than an open question.

Examples Q: ‘What time was it when he hit you?’

Q: ‘How far away were you at that point?’

Q: ‘In which hand was he holding the gun?’

3. Leading question.

A leading question is one that suggests or tends to suggest its own answer. It often assumes a fact that has not yet been established. It sometimes calls for a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response. Leading questions should not be used when interviewing children.

Examples Q: ‘Did you cry when he hit you’

Q: ‘Did you see the knife in his hand?’

Q: ‘Was she standing three feet away from you?’

4. Non-leading question.

How then do you formulate your questions so as to avoid asking your witness a leading question?

There are two basic methods you can use:

a) Start your questions neutrally with one of the following interrogatives: Who. . .? When. . .? What. . .? How. . .? Why. . .? Where. . .? Or with a neutral invitation: Tell, Describe, Explain… These will enable you to elicit the answer from the witness. Generally avoid asking questions which start with the words ‘Did you. . . ?’, ‘Were you. . . ?’, or ‘Was it . . . ?’—these will normally contain suggestion(s) and tend to lead!
b) Another basic way is to think of the answer you wish your witness to give and then omit any reference to the answer when framing the question. The question should come quite naturally. Example answer required: ‘Sunday’. Q: ‘What day was it?’ NOT: ‘Was it a Sunday?’ (a leading question)

5. Forced-choice question.

This is the type of question that should be avoided if at all possible and only be used as a last resort. This type of question can also be termed a selection question: it gives witnesses only a small number of alternatives from which they must choose and which may, in fact, not include the correct option (e.g. “would you like tea or coffee?”). The result of asking this type of question is that witnesses may guess the answer by selecting one of the options given. People may also answer in the affirmative, and the interviewer must then either assume to which part of the question this reply corresponds (which may be an incorrect assumption) or rephrase the question.

Questions to discuss.

What are the types questions used in interviewing?
What are the main rules if asking open-ended questions?
What are special features of non-leading questions?
What are specific-closed questions?
What are the situations when each of them is used?
Are there any types of questions that should be avoided?

Feedback

Activities.

Here are Signs of Deception list. Complete the list with 5-7 ideas of yours using the skills and knowledge you have got studying your future profession.

Body Language of Lies:

Physical expression will be limited and stiff, with few arm and hand movements. Hand, arm and leg movement are toward their own body the liar takes up less space.
A person who is lying to you will avoid making eye contact.
Hands touching their face, throat & mouth. Touching or scratching the nose or behind their ear. Not likely to touch his chest/heart with an open hand.

Emotional Gestures & Contradiction

Timing and duration of emotional gestures and emotions are off a normal pace. The display of emotion is delayed, stays longer it would naturally, then stops suddenly.
Timing is off between emotions gestures/expressions and words. Example: Someone says “I love it!” when receiving a gift, and then smile after making that statement, rather then at the same time the statement is made.
Gestures/expressions don’t match the verbal statement, such as frowning when saying “I love you.”
Expressions are limited to mouth movements when someone is faking emotions (like happy, surprised, sad) instead of the whole face.

Interactions and Reactions

A guilty person gets defensive. An innocent person will often go on the offensive.
A liar is uncomfortable facing his questioner/accuser and may turn his head or body away.
A liar might unconsciously place objects (book, coffee cup, etc.) between themselves and you.

Verbal Context and Content

A liar will use your words to make answer a question. When asked, “Did you eat the last cookie?” The liar answers, “No, I did not eat the last cookie.”
A statement with a contraction is more likely to be truthful: “ I didn’t do it” instead of “I did not do it”
Liars sometimes avoid “lying” by not making direct statements. They imply answers instead of denying something directly.
The guilty person may speak more than natural, adding unnecessary details to convince you… they are not comfortable with silence or pauses in the conversation. • A liar may leave out pronouns and speak in a monotonous tone. When a truthful statement is made the pronoun is emphasized as much or more than the rest of the words in a statement.
Words may be garbled and spoken softly, and syntax and grammar may be off. In other words, his sentences will likely be muddled rather than emphasized.

Other signs of a lie:

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