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Conducting Tough Interviews 267

In one case the managing director of a computer company, accused of pirating operating
systems and exporting high technology to embargoed countries, made an angry outburst:

MD: ‘I am really pissed off with your allegations that we have smuggled
thousands of boards and programs to the Soviet Union, inside jukeboxes.’

The investigator interjected:

MD: ‘Well how many boards did you ship inside jukeboxes?’
Investigator: ‘Well … er.’ [Pause for deep thought]
MD: ‘Was it ten, a hundred, two hundred or what?’
Investigator: ‘Not as many as a hundred.’
MD: ‘But you did ship boards in jukeboxes?’
[Silence. He could have bitten his tongue off and his lawyer glared at him]

In the cold light of day people find it incredible that suspects make such mistakes but
fortunately they do. The reason simply is that the two monkeys are very dangerous creatures,
especially when the suspect’s anxiety is stimulated.

Interjections lead to unintentional admissions

REGRESSIVE QUESTIONS

Regressive questions, which return phrases from an answer parrot fashion, can be irritating
and anxiety inducing.

Response: ‘Then I threw the papers into the bin.’
Question: ‘You threw the papers into the bin?’
Response: ‘Yes.’
Question: ‘Why?
Responses: ‘Because I thought they were useless.’
Question: ‘Because you thought they were useless, you threw the papers into the
bin?’
Response: ‘Yes.’
Question: ‘Why did you think they were useless?’
Response: ‘Because I just did.’
Question: ‘Because you just did. You threw the papers into the bin because you
thought they were useless?’

If you do not believe regressive questions generate emotion, try using them on your spouse
or boss, but watch out! Consider using them at any phase in an interview with an overconfi-
dent subject to irritate and unbalance him.