In this conversation, Dave Thompson interviews An Gaiser, an expert in nonverbal assessments and intelligence and security screenings. An shares her background and how her personal experiences led her to study behavior and psychopathy. She discusses her work as a probation officer and the challenges of working with individuals who have made poor decisions. An also talks about her role as a security clearance officer and the pressure of making decisions about someone's clearance. She emphasizes the importance of understanding people's drivers and motives in order to elicit information. An addresses the misconceptions about nonverbal behavior and deception, highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach to interpreting behavior. In this conversation, An Gaiser and Dave Thompson discuss the importance of context and self-awareness in investigative interviewing. They emphasize the need for interviewers to understand their own impact on the interviewee's behavior and to be aware of their own non-verbal cues. They also discuss the limitations of body language analysis and the dangers of making judgments without proper contextual information. An Gaiser shares her experiences in training intelligence officers and her approach to combining non-verbal assessment, conversational skills, and understanding behavior in her method. The conversation concludes with the importance of self-reflection and vulnerability in building trust and understanding others.

Learn more about An here: Home - www.angaiser.com

Truths:

• Understanding people's drivers and motives is crucial for eliciting information.
• Misconceptions about nonverbal behavior and deception exist, and there is no single behavior indicative of deception.
• A comprehensive approach that combines scientific knowledge and scenario building is necessary for interpreting behavior.
• The role of an interviewer or investigator is to be aware of their own impact and manage their judgments.
• High-stakes conversations require empathy and understanding, even when dealing with individuals who have made poor decisions. Understanding context is crucial in investigative interviewing
• Interviewers should be aware of their own impact on the interviewee's behavior
• Body language analysis has limitations and should be used with caution
• Combining non-verbal assessment, conversational skills, and understanding behavior is key in effective interviewing
• Self-reflection and vulnerability are important in building trust and understanding others

It’s difficult to be upset when you are snuggling up with a loving dog. In this episode, Det. Bianca Becker from UCF describes her experiences working with K9 Luna, the department’s therapy dog. Luna helps victims of sexual assault feel more comfortable and relaxed, which in turn helps them open up to the Detectives. The presence of Luna also helps build rapport, trust and provide comfort for victims. This episode explores the wide range of crimes that Campus police handle, including theft, DUIs, cyber-stalking, fraud schemes, attempted homicide, and extortion. Luna is also outsourced to other agencies in need of a therapy dog. The use of therapy dogs like Luna has been proven to reduce fear, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances in people who have experienced trauma. Understanding the impact of trauma on victims is crucial for investigators to conduct trauma-informed interviews. Detective Bianca Becker discusses the impact of therapy dogs in law enforcement interviews, specifically in cases of sexual assault. She emphasizes the importance of trauma-informed interviewing, allowing the interviewee to dictate the narrative, and providing a safe and comfortable environment. Luna, the therapy dog, plays a crucial role in creating a calming and supportive atmosphere for victims and witnesses. Luna's presence helps victims feel more comfortable, open up about their experiences, and build trust with law enforcement. The use of therapy dogs also extends to the department itself, providing emotional support for first responders and helping to alleviate secondary trauma. Detective Becker encourages other law enforcement agencies to consider implementing therapy dog programs and offers her expertise and resources to assist them.

Truths:

• Campus police handle a wide range of crimes, including theft, DUIs, cyber-stalking, fraud schemes, attempted homicide, and extortion.
• Therapy dogs like Luna have been proven to reduce fear, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances in people who have experienced trauma.
• Understanding the impact of trauma on victims is crucial for investigators to conduct trauma-informed interviews.
• Trauma-informed interviewing allows the interviewee to dictate the narrative and start the story from a point that is most important or detailed to them.
• Therapy dogs, like Luna, create a safe and comfortable environment for victims and witnesses, helping them feel more at ease and open up about their experiences
• The presence of therapy dogs in law enforcement interviews can help build trust between victims and law enforcement, leading to more cooperation and information sharing.
• Therapy dogs also provide emotional support for first responders and help alleviate secondary trauma.
• Implementing therapy dog programs in law enforcement agencies can have a significant positive impact on both victims and officers.

Dr. Emily Joseph, a social science researcher and user researcher for Xbox, discusses the impact of clear and not-so-clear communication on the elicitation of information. She highlights the importance of question phrasing, construct validity, and avoiding contamination of memory and responses. Emily emphasizes the need for open-ended questions, especially in investigative settings, to avoid bias and allow for accurate recall. She also explores the challenges of predicting future behavior and the significance of clear and concise questions in obtaining meaningful insights. Additionally, she addresses the misinterpretation of physical behavior and the influence of cultural and experiential factors. In this conversation, Dave and Emily discuss the importance of asking effective questions in various contexts, such as investigations, interviews, and surveys. They explore the impact of different types of questions, including open-ended and closed-ended questions, on the quality of responses. They also highlight the potential biases and limitations associated with certain question formats. The conversation emphasizes the need for interviewers to be aware of their own biases and create an environment where individuals feel comfortable providing honest feedback. Overall, the key takeaway is the significance of asking neutral and unbiased questions to elicit accurate and meaningful information.

Truths:

• Question phrasing and construct validity are crucial in obtaining accurate and meaningful information.
• Open-ended questions are essential in investigative settings to avoid bias and contamination of memory and responses.
• Predicting future behavior is challenging, and questions should focus on thought processes rather than final decisions.
• Physical behavior should not be relied upon as an indicator of truth or deception, as it can be influenced by various factors.
• Cultural and experiential factors can impact both verbal and nonverbal behavior, highlighting the need for cultural sensitivity in communication. The interpretation of responses in interrogation footage can be biased, leading to false assumptions of guilt.
• Closed-ended questions can limit the amount of information obtained, while open-ended questions encourage more detailed responses.
• The framing and wording of questions can influence the answers given.
• Likert scales and other survey response options should be carefully designed to capture a full range of perspectives.
• Interviewers should be aware of their own biases and strive to create an environment where individuals feel comfortable providing honest feedback.