This week’s International Association of Interviewers interview and interrogation training tip provided by Wicklander-Zulawski, has Wayne Hoover, CFI discussing fear and anger.
Anyone that’s ever been involved in a relationship can relate to being accused of something that they didn’t do. I it’s happened to you, think about your initial response when you were not believed. At first, the emotion was shock or surprise. You really didn’t do it. And as they continue to accuse you, you actually get angry. So the innocent person’s greatest fear is being disbelieved.
The guilty also have a fear—they’re afraid of being caught. Because the emotion is the same or similar, the behavioral responses may be the same or similar as well. So let’s take a closer look at each one:
The innocent response from the innocent person may be shock, but when they continue to not be believed they get angry. And the more that they are not believed, the more their anger increases. If that anger is increasing over time, you need to at least consider that you might be talking to an innocent person and re-evaluate the conversation.
Guilty people get angry as well, but they’re typically angry because they got caught. So our job is to figure out where that anger is coming from. As an investigator, we need to determine if that anger is legitimate or not legitimate: Is the person angry because they were caught, or because they are not believed?
Every loss prevention investigator should continuously strive to enhance their investigative interviewing skills as part of an ongoing commitment to best-in-class interviewing performance. This includes holding ourselves to an elite standard of interview and interrogation training that is ethical, moral and legal while demanding excellence in the pursuit of the truth. The International Association of Interviewers (IAI) and Wicklander-Zulawski (WZ) provide interview and interrogation training programs and additional guidance to investigators when dealing with dishonest employees, employee theft, sexual harassment, policy violations, building rapport, pre-employment interviewing, lying, denials and obtaining a statement.
By focusing on the latest information and research from experts in the field as well as academia, legal and psychological resources, these video tips provide interview and interrogation training techniques that can enhance the skill sets of professionals with backgrounds in Law Enforcement, Loss Prevention, Security, Asset Protection, Human Resources, Auditors or anyone looking to obtain the truth.
To learn more about interview and interrogation training and how you can further develop your professional skill sets, please visit www.w-z.com or www.certifiedinterviewer.com for additional information.