You've been taught to watch for crossed arms and averted eyes. The research says that skill doesn't exist—not even for professionals. Here's what to do instead.

You can't learn from your mistakes—because anxiety-based lie detection training never lets you count them. No batting average, no save rate, and no field goal percentage: it records only the hits. I trusted NLP, microexpressions, and baselining once, and they pointed me at an innocent man while the real evidence sat on a phone I'd turned off. Human deception detection runs about 54%—barely better than a coin flip. Here's why the science-based fundamentals beat the pseudoscien

Most active listening training teaches performance, not the real skill. After years in hostage negotiation and homicide investigations, I can tell you — nobody in those rooms cared whether I was nodding. What actually determines whether someone talks or shuts down has nothing to do with what any listening module ever taught. Here's what real active listening costs, why dismissing it as a soft skill is a dangerous mistake, and what it actually looks like when the stakes are hi

Science-Based Interviewing puts investigators back in control by grounding interviews in peer-reviewed research rather than intuition, tradition, or pseudoscientific lie detection. This article shows where to find open-access research on interviewing, interrogation, memory, deception, and false confessions—allowing investigators to read the evidence for themselves, verify claims, reduce investigative risk, and strengthen decision-making through transparent, evidence-based pra

For years, we’ve discussed interviews and interrogations, and that legacy techniques were the standard. We have relied on these outdated methods for too long. The training is not good. In fact, they actually undermine our ability to gather reliable information. This is especially true in confession-driven approaches. The idea behind these tactics is that if a suspect denies involvement early, they’re less likely to confess later. But the problem here isn’t just the techniques

During any investigation, the importance of what interviewing and interrogation methods an investigator uses cannot be overstated....

A quick way to add interview and interrogation research to your Kindle for easy access.

Investigators rely on memory as evidence, yet memory is vulnerable to distortion through post-event information and poorly framed questions. Research on the misinformation effect shows how leading questions, social influence, and timing can alter recall. Science-Based Interviewing (SBI) protects memory integrity by prioritizing early interviews, witness separation, free narratives, and the strategic use of evidence to gather accurate, reliable statement evidence.

The High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG) serves as a critical interagency effort within the U.S. government, bringing together intelligence professionals, operational interrogators, and academic researchers to advance the science and practice of interrogation. Established in 2009 under the direction of Barack Obama, the HIG was created to ensure that interrogation practices are effective, ethical, and grounded in empirical research. Since its creation, the HIG has su

Science-Based Interviewing (SBI) is an information-gathering approach to interview and interrogation based on peer-reviewed behavioral and cognitive science, including research funded through the FBI-administered High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG). SBI emphasizes accurate, reliable, and corroborated information through open-ended questioning, active listening, rapport, Strategic Use of Evidence, and cognitive interviewing.

Mastering the art of ethical interrogation requires a blend of skill, strategy, and dumping of antiquated interrogation techniques....

Are you ready to take your interviewing skills to the next level? After all, interviews are the most important part of any investigation....

The cognitive interview is a cornerstone of Science-Based Interviewing and modern investigative practice. Grounded in cognitive psychology, it improves memory recall by using open-ended questions, context reinstatement, and multiple retrieval pathways. Research shows it produces significantly more accurate information than traditional interviews, making it essential for law enforcement interview and interrogation training focused on reliability, ethics, and bias reduction.

AI in criminal investigations is only as good as the interviews feeding it. Science-based interviewing produces detailed, corroborable accounts an algorithm can actually use — accusatorial methods contaminate the dataset before analysis ever begins.

In law enforcement and investigative work, acronyms are more than shorthand—they shape how information is shared, interpreted, and acted upon. From incident command to interviewing and evidence handling, understanding common law enforcement acronyms helps reduce miscommunication, improve clarity, and support sound decision-making. This reference breaks down frequently used terms to help investigators, analysts, and leaders better navigate the complex language that influences

False confessions are not rare anomalies. They are predictable outcomes of coercive, accusatory interviewing and pseudoscientific lie-detection practices. This article examines the history, psychology, and risk factors behind false confessions and their role in wrongful convictions. It contrasts confession-driven interrogation with Science-Based Interviewing, an evidence-based approach that prioritizes reliable information, corroboration, and sound questioning to reduce inves

False confessions persist because flawed assumptions go unchallenged. This article uses red teaming to critically test the belief that innocent people never confess, exposing how coercive tactics, bias, and psychological vulnerability undermine investigations. Grounded in research and real-world cases, it shows how Science-Based Interviewing (SBI) and key assumption checks strengthen critical thinking, protect memory and decision-making, and produce more reliable, ethical inv