The purpose of an investigation interview is to obtain the greatest quality and quantity of truthful information, and investigators have an arsenal of tools they can use to get them to that goal. But many of the traditional questioning styles used to elicit information are manipulative, or even coercive, and results show that these approaches aren’t effective and produce less information or, even worse, false information. Investigators can get better results using relationship-building skills, such as rapport and reciprocity. But reciprocity must be employed with sincerity to build credibility with the investigation interview subject and using it effectively requires training and practice. Join Mark Anderson, director of training with Anderson Investigative Associates, as he discusses the effective use of reciprocity in investigation interviews.

1. Five Benefits of Using Reciprocity
in Investigation Interviews
Mark A. Anderson
Director of Training and Development
Anderson Investigative Associates

2. Presenter bio
Mark A. Anderson
 Director of Training and Development, AIA
 Special Agent, DOJ/OIG, Inspector General Criminal
Investigator Academy
 Detailed to FLETC/DHS, Behavioral Science Division
 Former Senior Special Agent, DOJ, FBI, and NRC
 New York State OIG Deputy Inspector General and Director of
Internal Audit
 Director of Security, Pyramid Corporation
 Forensic Chemist, New York State Police

3. Anderson Investigative Associates
Let’s Keep In Touch:
 Website
 www.Andersoninvestigative.com
 Facebook
 Anderson Investigative Associates
 LinkedIn
 https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-a-anderson-a46a1658
 Twitter
 Mark A. Anderson@AIA_training

4. What is our Goal in Interviewing?
Our primary purpose is to have an
interaction to elicit the maximum amount
of truthful statements!
We need to obtain the greatest quality and
quantity of information from this
interaction.

5. Non-Confrontational Interviewing
The High-Value Detainee Interrogation
Group (HIG) recently reports:
“the most effective practices for eliciting
accurate information and actionable
intelligence are non-coercive, rapport-
based, information-gathering interviewing
and interrogation methods.”

6. Progression of an Effective Interview
Anderson Investigative Associates
(1) Introduction
(2) Rapport
(3) Questions
(4) Summary
(5) Close

7. What is our Goal in Interviewing?
To accomplish our goal there are a
multitude of tools to use that are interview
situational dependent.
One of those tools is the implementation
of reciprocity in our interactions/interviews.

8. Deployment of Interview Tools
Reciprocity by itself without a fully
developed interview plan likely will not be
successful.
It must be implemented in conjunction with
other essential tools. What are some that
we say are important, but research clearly
demonstrates are lacking?

9. Deployment of Interview Tools
- Rapport
- Credibility
- Integrity
- Effective Questioning
- Reciprocity
- Persuasion
- Curiosity
- Planning
- Presentation
- Confidence
Essential tools we recognize, but often lacking:

10. Reciprocity
“There is one word which may serve
as a rule of practice for all one’s
life: Reciprocity.”
–Confucius

11. Reciprocity
“Always go to other people’s
funerals; otherwise they won’t go
to yours.”
— Yogi Berra

12. So What is Reciprocity
rec·i·proc·i·ty: ˌresəˈpräsədē/; noun
1. the practice of exchanging things with
others for mutual benefit, especially
privileges granted by one country or
organization to another.

13. Improve
Rapport
Building
Trust
Credibility/
Integrity
RECIPROCITY
Commonality
-Return on Investment:
- Greater Q and Q of Information
The Relationship of Reciprocity to the
Process of Interviewing

14. Interview Planning: When to Do?
Planning and Strategizing Must Occur:
•Before
•During
•After the interview.
The direction and focus will change but the planning will
equip you for those unexpected eventualities.
Avenues for reciprocity should be strategized prior to
interview, and modified as necessary during the
interaction.

15. Employment of Reciprocity
TruthfulInformation
Rapport and Reciprocity
High
Low
Minimal Rapport
No Commonality
Lack of Credibility
Establish No Trust
Minimal Return on
Investment
Maximize Rapport
Find Commonality
Establish Credibility
Generate Trust
Return on Investment

16. Poll Question
According to recent research in the arena of subject interviews,
what do those wrongdoers say is the number one reason (over
60%) that they confess during interview?
A. Room arrangement
B. Credibility of the interviewer
C. Questioning Technique
D. Evidence Possessed

17. Why Does Reciprocity Work?
Obligation to return the favor.
Unique property of human culture,
transcends all societies.
It is deeply implanted via socialization.
The degree depends on how the
individual was raised and what they
learned.

18. Trained and Conditioned to Work
Society trains us to comply.
There is a need to live up to the rule.
Knowledge that those who don’t will be
labeled as?
Moocher
Ingrate
Welcher

19. Three Characteristics of the Rule
These are instructive of how to use
reciprocity:
The Rule is Overpowering
The Rule Enforces Uninvited Debts
The Rule Can Trigger Unfair
Exchanges

20. The Rule is Overpowering
Liking who you are dealing with gains
compliance, but reciprocity overshadows
“liking.”
The obligation is seldom verbalized, but
its intrinsic effect causes action.
The relationship and results occur
whether material or emotional in nature.

21. The Rule Enforces Uninvited Debts
Obligation to repay is essence of the Rule.
Also obligation is to give and obligation to
receive.
This allows items to be given with no
request.
Its hard to say no to a gift.
Strong cultural pressure to reciprocate a
gift, even an unwanted one.

22. The Rule Can Trigger Unfair Exchanges
The Rule can be exploited for profit.
It is designed for “like begets like.”
But great flexibility with what you “demand”
back.
The indebting first favor and the debt-
canceling return favor are determined by
the same person.
We have been conditioned to be
uncomfortable when beholden.

23. The Rule Can Trigger Unfair Exchanges
The Second reason favor is returned—it is
the genuine distaste for individuals who fail
to conform to the rule.
The reality of Internal discomfort and
External shame produce a heavy
psychological cost.

24. Reciprocal Concessions
A Second Method to Employ pertaining to
Reciprocity
Beyond favor resulting in a return favor;
here, obligation to make a concession
when a concession has been given to us.
“Rejection-then-retreat” – initial position
exaggerated enough to allow for
concessions, yet is not too outlandish to be
seen as illegitimate.

25. Reciprocal Concessions
Offering a concession from a more
extreme to a less extreme option often
earns support from the subject.
This support includes:
Create Responsibility by the subject to
make sure the agreed upon action
happens.
Greater Satisfaction with the process
and the result allowing for positive future
interactions.

26. Reciprocal Concessions
From an interviewing perspective, the
employment of this approach should benefit
rapport development, including likeability
between the parties.
The increased commonality and
satisfaction should produce greater
compliance.

27. Interviewing Studies Show
Recent studies done amongst white collar crime/fraud
investigators in the United States and Western Europe
reflect:
Some consistent positives:
Interviewers generally displayed ethical interviewing
standards.
Interviewers frequently used open questioning
techniques.
Anderson Investigative
Associates

28. Interviewing Studies Show
Negatively, recent studies done amongst white collar
crime/fraud investigators in the United States and
Western Europe reflect:
Insufficient planning and preparation for interviews.
Shortfalls in rapport building.
Inadequate listening skills.
“Woefully” insufficient management of operations.

29. Interviewing Studies Show
Less than satisfactory performance:
– Explained Purpose of the Interview. -25%
– Failed to explain interview was opportunity to tell their side
of the story. – 90%
– Failed to explain routine or route map of the interview. –
95%
Improving performance in these areas can serve to establish
and develop rapport, reciprocity, and credibility, and
therefore trust. These are not a big secret.

30. Interviewing Studies Show
Large percentage of interviews are characterized by:
– An absence of contingency strategies for potential
defenses raised by the interviewee.
– An inadequate knowledge of the case and the legal
points (elements) to prove.
– An unstructured and haphazard order of questioning.
– Evidential documents and items not being on hand
during the interview, and organized.
These all affect the appearance of credibility which
compromises the deployment of reciprocity!

31. Two Types of Reciprocity
*Reciprocity can be broken down into two distinct areas:
• Material Reciprocity – a physical item given with perceived
value
• Emotional Reciprocity – a verbal or non-verbal gesture given
*With either, it doesn’t have to be material, but it does
have to be of value to the receiver.
• It is something that conveys, interest, care, etc.
• It works because we are psychologically conditioned to
respond.
*The premise of reciprocity is fair play.

32. Two Types of Reciprocity
Emotional Reciprocity
Coffee/Drink
Donut
Lunch
A Coat
A Phone Call
Material Reciprocity
Reciprocity
A Compliment
A Thank You
A Handshake
An Affirming Nod
Using Names

33. With every positive, avoid the negative!
If the premise of reciprocity is fair play:
- Good begets good
- Bad begets bad
If you are judgmental, rude, yelling, don’t be surprised
when you get the same. You earned it.
Essential to be consistent too. Jekyll and Hyde approach,
minimizes credibility, thereby destroying reciprocity.

34. Employ the Socratic Method
- Ask Questions
- Listen Better – Active Listening
- Seek to Understand
- Find Topics to Agree Upon
- Seek Commonalities
All of these help establish quality rapport, building trust,
increasing credibility and ultimately laying the ground
work for reciprocity

35. The interviewer must listen to the witnesses’ answers in
order to further develop their questions. This is an
evolving process. It is difficult to achieve this when all
your attention is on your prepared questions. Be focused
and flexible. Absorb the information, process it, and
understand it.
Stay engaged in the interview. Listen to what is being
said, and how does it fit into what was previously said or
that is known from the investigation.
If the witness said it: it’s important: you have to find its
relevance.
Learn to Active Listen

36. Why Rapport?
Conditions interviewee to talk
Establishes baseline of behavior
Begins immediately
Establishes trust
Finds commonality
Increases likeability
Generates credibility

37. Why Rapport?
People like to talk to
people like themselves.
Rapport affords us the
opportunity to build
commonality.
It moves us from being an
adversary to being more
likeable.

38. Reciprocity
“The basis of social relationships is
reciprocity: if you cooperate with
others, others will cooperate with
you.”
–Carroll Quigley

39. Be Prepared to Answer for What You Do
The interview is often the cornerstone of an
investigation. It is frequently the single most
weighed piece of evidence considered in a
hearing/trial.
You should be able to defend your actions
and strategies related to your conduct in all
interviews.

40. Preparation
Although each interview is different, we
prepare for them in the same fashion. In
the end, whether at a trial or hearing, your
presentation and consistency will help to
establish your credibility and impartiality
to the subject and later, to a jury or
deciding official.
Employing reciprocity strengthens this.

41. Reciprocity and telephonic interviews
-We want to employ it on the phone,
- Need to maximize listening,
- Employ use of sub-vocals,
- Ensure positive listening environment on your end,
- Ensure understanding of what is being said,
- Consider starting the conversation on speaker and then
pick up handset to close distance and intimacy of call.
Telephonic Interviews

42. What have we covered today?
1. The value of reciprocity to investigative interviews.
2. Our ability to build credibility using reciprocity.
3. Reciprocity’s positive effect on building rapport.
4. The importance of active listening to reciprocity.
5. Our ability to establish commonality via reciprocity.
Reciprocity Summary

43. Our Gift to You
The Essentials of Effective Interviewing.
More and more we are seeing individuals
caught up in the step process of
interviewing. If I get through these 5, 9, 12
steps I will have an admission or
confession. This isn’t reality, because the
interview process is very dynamic and
requires our effective planning and ability to
adjust and adapt. This paper addresses
what our approach should be to encounter
this dynamic process.

44. Questions?

45. Thank-you for participating
If you have any questions, please feel free
to email them to:
Mark A. Anderson, Director of Training and Development
manderson@andersoninvestigative.com
(912) 882-5857
Joe Gerard, CEO, i-Sight Software
j.gerard@i-sight.com