The FBI teaches you lie detection, people reading and intelligence skills

Chapter 38 Interrogation Techniques (1): Determining Responses, Applying Pressure ([-])
Determining natural responses means using interrogation techniques to figure out how the other person behaves under normal circumstances.Once the interrogator has established this, it is easy to observe the other person's stress and determine whether the other person has lost control.Then, the interrogator can use the pressure to continue to "intimidate" the other party. In this way, it is a matter of course to see through his lies and extract the desired information from them.In this chapter, FBI experts will explain to you one by one the interrogation techniques for determining responses and applying pressure.

§§§ Section I Determines Natural Response, Establishes Interrogation Standards

In 1929, torture of prisoners of war was outlawed by the Geneva Conventions, so military interrogators turned to nonviolent methods.Some people have begun to pay attention to the intimidating power of language, so can language really be a powerful tool for the other party to tell the truth?Indeed, language can go deep into the depths of a person's soul and bring irresistible spiritual pain to the other party.

To achieve such an effect, one cannot just rely on some superficial techniques borrowed from psychology books, nor can one trust the exaggerated conclusions of some experts.Approaching problems with piecemeal techniques is counterproductive.For example, "I know you're lying because you're looking to the left and blinking."Looking to the left doesn't say anything about the other person's state of mind, nor does it mean he's lying.There are many such unconscious behaviors, which are manifested in many ways such as facial expressions, voices, and gestures.The meaning conveyed is also very complex, some are difficult to see through, and some are particularly obvious.Based on these signals, the interrogator may conclude that the other person is deceiving, but the meaning of the signals themselves varies from person to person.

Therefore, the interrogator must determine a standard of judgment, that is, to determine the response of the interrogated person in a non-stressful situation, which allows the interrogator to understand the natural communication style of the other party in a non-stressful environment.Once this is confirmed, the interrogator can easily observe the other party's stress and determine whether the other party has lost control.After that, the interrogator can immediately enter the next stage - use this standard (natural response) to find out which words or behaviors of oneself have caused pressure on the other party, and use them to continue to "intimidate" the other party. It is a matter of course to lie and extract the information that the interrogator wants from it.

To put it simply, determining the standard is to create an atmosphere, that is, to achieve the effect of inviting the king into the urn, so as to win the initiative.

Before explaining the steps involved in determining standards, let's look at how to do something and not to do something through two different experiences of Samantha, a student at the Institute of Human Behavior.One story was about one of her business meetings, the other about her troubles at home.

Samantha arrives at a lavishly furnished office for a meeting with a potential client.The other party is the president of a medium-sized company.Samantha wants to confirm the possibility of contracting the other party's public relations work. In addition, she also wants to know the key information: her own competitiveness, the validity period of the contract, and whether the other party has a budget for related services.

After entering the office, Samantha took a closer look, hoping to get acquainted with each other's preferences as soon as possible.Award certificates, a framed media coverage of the company, etc., these show that the other party likes to show off personal achievements.Not a single document, not even a scrap of paper in sight on the prospect's desk, suggests that the prospect may be very fond of verbal orders and assign all work to subordinates.It goes like this: Once she wins the contract, she will inevitably have to deal with more people in the company.The big photo hanging behind reveals the other party's family situation and personal interests.It was a photo of the president's wife with the Tower of London as the background, but the front of the photo was not aimed at the president himself.Seeing this, Samantha thought what did he want to express through the photo?Does it mean he is married, or does he like to travel?
So, Samantha began to actively "offensive", to determine the other party's performance through conversation (natural reaction), she said: "The Tower of London should have a very special meaning to you?" The other party immediately admitted that he had traveled to London for five years. Second-rate. "Five times?!" Samantha immediately realized that the other party liked history!She felt that more historical content should be discussed.So she went on to ask: "My favorite place, by the way, what do they call the building that used to house the crown jewels?" She actually knew the answer-Wakefield Tower.This is a controlled question, that is, a question for which the person asking the question knows the answer.Such questions allow her to observe how the other person responds without any pressure, because there is no need to lie in such an open question.

In this way, Samantha can observe information such as the tone of voice and speaking rhythm of the other party when they are physically and mentally relaxed.At this moment, the visual cortex of Mr. President's brain was active first. He looked up, then to the left, and then said: "Wakefield Tower, the octagonal pavilion upstairs is really spectacular." Next, when Saman When Sha asked him to introduce a new product that the company was about to roll out on a large scale, she saw him move, a quick glance up to the left, then up to the right, then down to the right.Therefore, Samantha judged that the product might still be in the design stage.According to his previous responses, when he responded to the question, he first searched the memory and then responded visually.His look to the lower right (the area of ​​the brain that controls emotion is at work) suggests that he is under stress.After that, he flicked his fingers on the tabletop as if there was real dust on it, and then he picked up the brochure Samantha had left on the table and threw it into the sideboard.He's actually taking action to bring himself back to normal, and it's his way of releasing tension.Samantha saw it all in her eyes and took it to heart, and she realized that these behaviors were the performance of clients under pressure.Samantha cursed to herself, "I should have seen that earlier. I shouldn't have put the brochure on the table. Now it looks like he wants me to get out!"

So it was imperative for Samantha to re-establish a positive relationship as soon as possible.As the conversation progressed, Samantha learned more about the other person's likes and dislikes, and was convinced that the other party would hire someone soon, because he didn't seem to have a competent assistant around him. "If my cost estimates are on par, I can wrap up the conversation right now," she reminded herself.

When Samantha asked how many employees the company had, he answered without batting an eye.Then, Samantha asked another question that required calculation: "In such a highly competitive industry, how many people in your company have been fired in the past few years?" The other party glanced down and then to the left. Looked, then looked directly at Samantha and said, "About 10% of the workforce was hired in the last two or three years." When Samantha asked him about his budget for outsourcing contracts, he looked at the bottom right. "He doesn't have a budget yet," Samantha thought.This created both an opportunity and a challenge: The other party didn't quite know how much they would spend on the new collaboration; but once they had money, Samantha used his uncertainty to her advantage.

At this point, Samantha finally realized that she was not prepared enough.The other party's budget is a key issue that should be paid attention to, and she should know the other party's financial situation in advance.For example, what is the sales revenue?What will the other party use the funds for?What sectors are underfunded?Where does the growth point mainly come from?
Samantha violated a basic principle: she started the meeting prematurely without knowing the other party well enough.When time runs out and key information is not obtained, the game ends hastily.

This story contains the basic steps for determining natural responses, but these are just the basics.For example, subtle differences in eye movement can reveal different meanings.When a person looks to the left, then to the right, and then to eye level, it suggests that a process is taking place.When he first looked to the right, then to the left, and then looked up again, it suggested that another process was going on.

The meeting disappointed Samantha, and when she returned home at night, she found a letter slipped through the door. "Hey, why did Bill's ex-wife send him a card? Today is not Bill's birthday, nor is it any special holiday!" Suddenly, she became suspicious, feeling that her husband Bill had lied last time: he denied that he had given his ex-wife college. Tuition, which he actually paid, and the card is probably a thank you for that.At this moment, Bill's footsteps sounded outside the door.Samantha didn't want any conflict, but wanted her husband to come forward. "Honey, how are you today?" Her husband's greeting immediately reminded her of the unpleasant experience of the afternoon.At this point, Samantha wanted to ascertain Bill's natural reaction before forcing him to confess, so she asked a question he didn't have to lie about: "Are you in time for the 8 o'clock meeting?"

Samantha didn't even listen to his answer because she knew she couldn't listen.Samantha has broken the rules of the game.First, she was supposed to let go of her personal emotions, but instead, she was overwhelmed by her own emotions, which diminished her ability to control the situation.Second, she self-righteously felt that her husband should admit his mistakes to herself.So, does she really want to know the truth, or is it just because such a plot can satisfy her desire to appear smart and superior to others?Third, her question is meaningless from the standpoint of determining the standard (natural response), because there are only two answers to this kind of question - "yes" or "no".

The setback of the next year's meeting made her so emotional that she was obsessed with confronting her husband to vent.When the husband opened the letter and took out the card in front of her, he realized that it was just a picture of his son at Disney.

Now that Samantha has improved her awareness of determining the standard (the natural response), she can handle the situation more professionally without making a mess of it emotionally.

Determining natural responses means using interrogation techniques to figure out how the other person behaves under normal circumstances.Even if we want to be tough, we need to establish this first, build a positive relationship, and then start asking questions.For interrogators, control questions arise from what we already know about the enemy.These situations are summarized in a large number of databases.For example, when we capture a captive, the information obtained is stored in a database.And everyday control questions come from a variety of sources, from something as simple as, "Where are the restrooms in the building?" to something as subtle as the knowledge you get from a client's front desk clerk.In short, as long as the question does not bring pressure to the other party, you can take the opportunity to observe to determine their natural reaction.

§§§Section [-] Natural Response Begins with Facial Expressions
Generally speaking, the rolling of the eyes indicates that a person is looking for an answer.Different regions of the brain are responsible for processing data from different sensory channels.The area that processes sound is just above the ear.The visual cortex, which processes visual stimuli, is located in the back of the brain.In adults, the areas of the brain responsible for cognition and problem solving are at the front of the brain.By asking questions involving a certain sensory channel, the other person can be forced to use that particular sense, and the eyes will have a corresponding outward expression.The interrogator's questions should be specific to one sense, not too involved, and the questions should be complex enough to provoke thought.Questions like "What color is your car?" are too simple. "What color is the tapestry in your mother's bedroom?" That's a good question.Try using questions like the ones below to see how your partner responds.

What is the square root of 39?
What is the layout of your kitchen?

What would you do if a friend died of cancer?
What is the fifth word in the song "The Star-Spangled Banner"?
What does a giraffe sound like?
What do you think Venus looks like?

How do people react when they are asked these questions?Are the eyeballs moving quickly, or barely moving?In many cultures, evasive or wandering eyes are considered a sign of lying and are strongly avoided.However, this exercise shows that eye rolling is natural, it just shows which part of the other person's brain is using to answer the question.

Relying on the visual cortex to search for memories is called visual memory.The process of creating a vision is what I call vision building.Does the other party's memory exist in the left brain and use the right brain to build it, or is it the other way around?You can use this knowledge to determine the other person's natural response.Then, when you ask the other person questions that require memory to answer, if his behavior is different from his natural response, you have reason to be suspicious, and you can isolate the information that can be judged as a lie.

While there are indeed exceptions to people's left- and right-brain divisions (visual or auditory), most people respond in the following way.

Calculating the square root of a number that is not commonly used (if it is the square root of 81, you only need to mobilize the memory function), it will make people look to the bottom left, and inner thinking activities usually make people look to the bottom left.

When visually identifying a familiar place, people glance to the upper left.This is a result of using the visual cortex, which is located in the back of the brain.

Ever observe people at a funeral?Most have their heads down, looking down to the right.This implies that they are in deep grief.

In order to recall what the fifth word of the song "The Star-Spangled Banner" is, people often subconsciously sing that song silently until the fifth word.During this process, they will look straight to the left, above the left ear to be precise.Answering these kinds of questions uses the auditory function, which is in the area above the left ear for most people.

What sounds do giraffes make?In fact, there was no sound at all.But many people don't know it, so they try to "create" a certain sound.In the process, the creativity of the auditory area of ​​the brain is used.If he says he's never heard a giraffe, you can go ahead and ask him what he thinks it should sound like.This could lead to a complex sequence of responses: prompting the other party to use the brain's auditory memory to search for similar animal sounds, then pooling these auditory constructs, and finally returning to a normal state to describe the sound of the giraffe.

Discussing Venus requires a bit of imagination, unless there is a deep study of the planet.When you encounter this kind of problem, you have to "fiction".At this time, the eyes will move to the upper right accordingly.This suggests that the visual cortex of the brain is also being used, albeit more creatively.

To all of the above, the documented exception is the Basques.In addition, these can be regarded as principles: the eyes always move upwards, so when using the auditory function, they will not look to the upper left, and when using the visual memory function of the brain, they will not look to the right.The difference between people is which side is responsible for memory and which side is responsible for conception.Hearing is usually from the side and vision is usually from above.

However, these typical responses alone cannot be used to tell whether someone is lying.Paul Ekman, a veteran expert in the field (particularly in the analysis of facial expressions), has encountered a very opposite example, which he calls the Bronx incident, which occurred in NBC news anchor Tom Browne. gram.In one interview, Blank judged that the other person was lying based on the direction of the eyes, but was wrong, and later discovered that this expression was completely normal for this person.

Another facial expression that varies from person to person is the smile.Observe the people around you and see the difference between their natural smile and the smile they try to control.Also observe your own smile in different situations: when facing the camera, when joking, when attracting the attention of others, when expressing agreement and understanding, see what is the difference?
§§§The third section body signals convey the inner real world
In the field of lie detection, we try to unearth the hidden secrets by observing body language.Determination of criteria (natural responses) can help determine whether behaviors such as shoulder hugging and foot shaking are normal, self-defense, or stress relief.

Ask the other person to sit comfortably, then ask some questions, transition from light topics to some personal questions, and pay attention to the changes in his body.For example, start with the following sequence:
how many siblings do you have
what did you like to play when you were young

Did you ever get into a fight with someone when you were a kid?
Did your parents treat you differently from other siblings from childhood?
What's the most frustrating thing your siblings have done?

In a sense, you must have done something to hurt your sibling too, like peeking at their diary, stealing their baseball, or breaking something in them because they pissed you off.So what have you done?Even now as an adult, have you ever hurt your siblings by being angry?Another way will allow you to find out more information, but when the other party has nothing to say, his emotions or pressure will come up.

Again, ask the other person to sit down first, then proceed as follows:
Which is your favorite place to go on vacation?
— "Tortola, British Virgin Islands."

why do you like it there

— “I learned to dive there.”

What kind of practice does diving need to do?

——"Every five days of learning book knowledge, we spend half a day going to the water to practice once. The schedule is very tight."

Can you remember the most important things from your dive?

Such questions can be asked to such a degree that they are beyond the reach of someone without sufficient experience.When the other party says "I don't know" or "I can't remember", and you continue to ask, she will feel powerless, so she will fabricate some reasons why she doesn't know or change the subject.During the conversation, notice if her posture changes suddenly and is different from when she first started the conversation.

§§§ Section [-] Controlling Natural Responses Through External Signs
(End of this chapter)