Model Statement
The model statement is a research-based tool used with the Cognitive Interview to increase detail in investigative interviews. By playing a prepared audio example of an unrelated experience described in rich detail, interviewees recalibrate what “thorough” means and typically provide more information.
Model Statement Technique in Investigative Interviewing
The Model Statement Technique from Cognitive Interviewing is a science-based interviewing strategy designed to increase information yield without leading, suggesting, or confronting. It raises the interviewee’s reporting standard by demonstrating—rather than instructing—what a detailed account sounds like.
When interviewees hear a prepared audio recording of an unrelated experience described in rich detail, they adjust their internal threshold for what is “important enough” to report. This often results in longer, more comprehensive narratives and increased disclosure of contextual and sensory details.
For best practice, the model statement should:
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Be a pre-recorded audio example
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Describe a genuine, unrelated experience
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Be prepared in advance rather than improvised
When implemented correctly, the Model Statement (MS) Technique strengthens investigative interviewing by increasing detail and preserving neutrality.
Model Statement Recordings
To help investigators apply this technique immediately, several ready-to-use model statement recordings are provided below. Each includes a short explanation so you can choose one that is clearly unrelated to the event being discussed. Both male and female voice recordings are available. You are welcome to download and use them in interviews or training, or simply play them directly from this page. Consider bookmarking this page so you can quickly return to it whenever you need a model statement during an investigative interview.
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- [FREE] Science-Based Interviewing for Everyone - Beyond the BadgeThu, Apr 15Justice Clearing House
These model statement recordings are provided for non-commercial use by investigators and IXI students only. They are shared under a Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license. Redistribution, modification, or commercial use outside of authorized training contexts is prohibited without written permission from Insight & Integrity.
Pre-Recorded Model Statements
Model Statement (male)
Male voice describes being at a professional baseball field before a game. He recounts walking out of the tunnel onto the field, observing staff, players warming up, freshly chalked baselines, fans in the stands, and batting practice. He explains positioning himself safely along the warning track and taking out his phone to record the atmosphere.
Model Statement (female)
In this transcript, she describes arriving alone at a downtown hotel during a work trip and checking in after a flight. She recounts sensory details of the lobby, including flowers, marble floors, staff at the reception desk, and a café area, while reflecting on feeling tired yet excited about being in the city for meetings the next morning.
Model Statement (male)
Voice describes entering a large hardware store on a weekend and walking through the main aisles. He recounts sensory details of the store, including stacks of lumber, displays of tools and paint, the smell of wood and fertilizer, the sound of a forklift moving pallets, and a loudspeaker announcement, while reflecting.
Model Statement (female)
Describes entering a large art museum while traveling. She recounts sensory details of the quiet lobby and gallery spaces, including high ceilings, a metal sculpture, softly lit paintings, and the faint smell of polished wood, while reflecting on feeling calm and thoughtful as she slowly takes in the artwork around her.
