Kinesic Interview Observations
This is an article written for an Internet PI list by Ron
Azzarello of Alliance Investigations in Florida. I've read a lot of
articles and books over the past twenty four years on investigation and Ron is
one of the most knowledgeable and articulate authors I've come across.
Subj: The Words Must Fit The Music -- Self Initiated Verbal And Non-verbal
Deception
Date: 9/22/98 10:34:50 AM Pacific Daylight Time
Did anybody else take accurate objective notes based upon relevant training?
Ponder: Kinesics -- A systematic study of the relationship
between nonlinguistic body motions, blushes, shrugs, eye movement, sweating,
swallowing hard, trembling, and generally deceptive paralinguistic communication
trends.
General Principles about the Kinesic Detection of Deception Technique --
No single behavior, standing alone, proves anything;
There must be something to be gained or lost, jeopardy;
Behaviors must be relatively consistent when stimuli is repeated;
Establish what is "normal" behavior - ask questions with known answers;
Observing and interpreting behavior requires four steps:
- Have the technique explained to you,
- Study the technique,
- Practice your behavioral analysis skills, they work, and
- Apply and develop those skills;
The subject is analyzing the investigator as we analyze them;
Do not reveal behavior except what they would notice themselves;
- You give them irrelevant things to argue about, and
- you train your opposition;
Ponder the "Duck" Principle of the Accused and understand it:
- Is subject's personality consistent with the offense?
- The manner in which it was committed? and
- consistent with its apparent motive?
Put faith in your thoughtfully disciplined 6th sense, your subconscious
processing of observed data streams;
Try to prove subject honest, if you cannot do it it is not your fault;
Verbal signs are usually more productive than the non-verbal;
It is easier to control deceptive verbal signals than the non-verbal;
Any speech obstruction, physical or symbolic, indicates deception;
90+% of deceptive subjects bring some religious behavior to light;
Fingers reveal deception:
- When subject is speaking = can point to a lie,
- When subject is listening = indicates displeasure;
When subject gets angry and then are cooperative = probably deceptive,
but are cooperative and then get angry = probably innocent;
Only the guilty have a reason to be intimidating;
Liars deny specifically;
Truthful subjects deny generally or categorically;
Using soft words often means avoiding harsh realities;
You cannot insult a guilty person;
Pointer responses highlight important things being said:
- Threatening words, gestures toward interviewer,
- I can feel it in my heart when asked that question;
Why does the liar stall? To gain time to decide two things:
- Should they lie or tell the truth? ("Ah..., Er..., Um...,)
- What size lie should they tell...a little one or a whopper?
One of the most reliable signals of deception is hesitation (denial);
Stalling can come in the form of complete sentences or questions:
- Repeats the same question verbatim,
- Rephrases it to make it apply specifically to themselves,
- Responds with another question,
- Clears throat or gives a slight cough, and
- Asks for the question to be repeated;
A deceptive subject may:
- Make too many complaints,
- Questions the entire investigation regarding self;
A guilty person complains to put the interviewer on the defensive;
When subjects claim a memory failure or show they have almost
too good memory (suggesting rehearsal) rather than straightforward denying the
offense, they are almost always being deceptive;
Memory failure warnings that flag deception:
- Do not think so,
- Cannot recall,
- Cannot remember,
- Not that I can think of, and
- Not that I am aware of;
Certain words or phrases used in connection with positive statements, 90+% of
the time or more the statements are false;
Examples of some deceptive flag words and phrases are:
- Really,
- To the best of my knowledge,
- To tell you the truth,
- To the very best of my recollection,
- To clarify what I am saying,
- I do not know anything about it,
- To answer that completely;
The work NO can be said in many different ways. Some ways which typically
indicate deception to questions asked are:
- "No" in connection with crossing arms or legs,
- "No" followed by closing eyes;
Persons who express a lack of faith in the investigator/investigation, or
claim they are being persecuted, are usually guilty;
Beware of the subject who avoids answering questions by saying:
- I have already answered that question,
- Like I told you before, I did not do it;
Beware of the subject who goes directly to the point:
- They apply pressure to abandon your agenda, and
- Get right to the heart of the matter,
Guilty subjects reason you would expect a guilty person to avoid the issue at
hand, as though to say:
- Would I bring this up if I were guilty?
- If you have never listened to me before, listen to me now;
General outward appearance of the truthful person:
- Appears at ease,
- Sincere,
- Cooperative;
General outward appearance of the deceptive person:
- Apprehensive,
- Overly friendly,
- Aggressive toward interviewer,
- Evasive answering;
Sitting postures in a chair of the trughful person:
- Relaxed looking,
- Arms open and uncrossed,
- Head and shoulders aligned;
Sitting postures in a chair of the liar:
- Slouches or sits rigid and stiff,
- Head slumped,
- Faces to the side,
- Arms crossed or held in close;
Deceptive subjects hold facial expressions/emotions ten seconds or more;
When a subject's face becomes:
- White = The height of an autonomic fight or flight response,
- Red = Recovery from a strong emotion,
- Dark = Blood backing up due to autonomic constricted veins;
Touching or rubbing the nose indicates stress and/or deception:
- While denying involvement reveals subject is lying;
Gulping (Diet Coke) or swallowing hard is a good sign of stress;
(and provides for frequent restroom trips to consult with your lawyer)
Depos are not fun. A big smile is not realistic and reveals deception;
Lip behaviors under stress that reveal deception:
- Biting them,
- Squeezing them together,
- Continually licking them, but they remain dry;
Arms crossed tightly in front of chest with fists reveals an uncooperative
and cocky subject;
Arms crossed while leaning toward investigator reveals a decreased chance of
cooperation;
Non-emotional extrovert characteristic keys:
- Sociable personality,
- Loves excitement,
- Compulsive,
- Takes chances,
- Readily responds to questions,
- If interviewer is persistent, personality will deteriorate,
- Tries to put interviewer into "follower" role,
Such subjects must be approached without warmth, as straightforward as
possible. Niceness by the investigator is viewed as weakness;
There is another tape from the Paula Jones deposition, followed by Formal
Reports which include the seventeen people working for the president who have
already gone to prison, and Filegate, Travelgate, et al.
Ponder upon relevant and probative strategies and each tactic implemented.
It is sad that we must defend a president who was read his
legal rights by a criminal prosecutor who represents the people of the Unites
States.
Starr's report (footnotes) reveal at least twenty-five counts
of possible felony perjury that we now know exists in yesterday's videotaped
deposition. Add obstruction of justice and the misuse of power when you listen
to those that support him. Will Mrs. Clinton be declared an indicted or
unindicted co- conspirator. If she is indicted, will he pardon her and then
resign?
We now know Clinton has displayed a careless disregard for
law and order and the rights of Paula Jones in her failed attempt to attain
justice because of his untruthfulness. After 100+ women the president admits
having had a dalliance, while married, can anybody believe what Paula proffered
did not happen?
We know Clinton by his own admission believes the truth is
what he believes it to be at the moment. How many of your spouses would believe
that eatin (oral sex outside the marriage) ain't cheatin? When he involved a
co-respondent (third party) he can no longer profess a personal privacy
privilege.
Apprehend, interview, and prosecute Dishonest Employees and
soon it is time to negotiate the penalty, usually connected to the recovery of
stolen assets: People refusing to acknowledge guilt and culpability neither
deserve nor get a break. They NEED the learning experience that comes with the
fullest penalty from their prosecution because of their failure to admit
responsibility and pay the public expenses that resulted because of his
disregard for victims rights.
The tragedy is deponents lack of contrition and disrespect
for law and our three Charters of Freedom. His self initiated and demonstrably
criminal behavior escalates his damages and the degree of unpleasantness we all
must experience because of him. Even Dick Morris agrees -- goodgrief!
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