Page 22 - Deception at work all chapters EBook

Introduction 13

• in compliance with the law and ethical standards, through specified processes;
• in a way which leaves everyone involved with the most positive feelings possible under all of

the circumstances.

Interviewing skills consist of two main elements: capability and understanding.
Capability is based on a deep understanding of the nature and mechanics of deception, and

the ability to be able to deal with the conflict between the liar’s:

• subconscious (which will usually try to tell the truth) and controlled consciousness (which
may wish to misrepresent it);

• memory (which will know the facts) and imagination (which will distort them to suit the
liar’s conscious objectives).

The memory and subconscious are referred to as the ‘two monkeys‘ that sit on the liar’s back,
constantly reminding him of the truth

Understanding is the second vital element of interviewing skills, and includes:

• An appreciation of the questions we can ask and statements we can make to get to the truth,
and especially:
– The capability to influence and persuade the liar to the point where he loses all confidence
in his ability to cope with the anxiety created by his deception.
– The capability to recognize when the suspect is confronting himself with the dilemma
(the ‘pivotal point’) of whether or not to release his anxiety by telling some or all of the
truth.
– The capability to create rapport and empathy with the suspect to enable him to resolve this
dilemma by telling the truth and to clear up other matters with which he may have been
concerned while retaining his self-respect.

• An acceptance of the ethical, moral and social values concerned, including:
– human rights,
– privacy,
– the policies and procedures in your organization,
– the applicable laws, rules, procedures and codes of practice against which our actions will
be judged by others and, more importantly, by ourselves as professional interviewers.

The definition includes three very important words, and these are ‘respect’, ‘rapport’ and
‘empathy’. Let’s look at these words in more detail.

Respect

We should always show respect for the person who tells lies, no matter how bad a person
he really is, and must never become emotionally involved, through anger, sarcasm or dis-
courtesy. Respect means honouring the suspect’s legal rights and treating him fairly. It also
means that you can sleep soundly at night, knowing you have done your best and have acted
professionally.