Anderson Investigative AssociatesScience-Based Interview & Investigation Training
The history of science-based interviewing.
For most of the last century, interrogation in North America was built on custom, not evidence. This white paper traces how a crisis of unreliable information — laid bare after September 11th — pushed the field toward rapport-based, research-backed methods, and where that transformation stands today.
A field at a critical juncture
After decades of relying on tradition-based methods that often produced unreliable information and false confessions, law enforcement agencies across North America are undergoing a fundamental transformation toward science-based interviewing techniques.
The shift from coercive, confession-driven interrogation to rapport-based, information-gathering approaches represents more than a tactical change — it is a paradigm shift toward evidence-based policing that prioritizes accuracy, reliability, and ethical practice. Significant progress has been made since 2010, when the U.S. government began investing millions in interrogation research, though implementation remains uneven across jurisdictions.
From "customary learning" to a crisis of reliability
For most of the 20th century, investigative interviewing operated under a teach-the-next-generation model: experienced investigators trained newer officers to replicate their methods based on perceived success. The Reid Technique, developed in the 1940s and 1950s, became the dominant approach — its nine-step process leaned on accusation, confrontation, and psychological manipulation to elicit confessions.
- The "false evidence ploy" — claiming to have evidence that doesn't exist
- Minimization and maximization techniques
- Interrogation room isolation and control
- Lengthy sessions designed to wear down resistance
What over 150 government-sponsored research projects found
The HIG's research program has funded more than 150 studies and 225 peer-reviewed publications. Three findings now anchor every science-based method we teach.
Rapport Outperforms Coercion
Studies consistently show rapport-building techniques outperform coercive methods, leading to more voluntary disclosure and higher-quality intelligence.
Coercion Produces False Positives
Traditional confession-driven methods can obtain confessions from the guilty and the innocent alike — roughly a third of DNA exonerations involved a false confession.
Information Beats Confession
Focusing on accurate, verifiable information rather than confession-seeking leads to better case outcomes — juries convict on demonstrated deception just as readily.
The methods now taught in science-based programs
Each of these approaches has been developed and tested by researchers, then translated into practical, teachable skills for real interview rooms.
The Cognitive Interview
Developed by Geiselman and Fisher, this technique reinstates context, encourages detailed narratives, and varies retrieval methods to maximize accurate recall.
The Scharff Technique
Based on WWII interrogator Hanns Scharff, this approach builds rapport, finds commonalities, and creates a depressurized environment for voluntary disclosure.
Strategic Use of Evidence
Developed at the University of Gothenburg, SUE strategically reveals evidence to distinguish truthful from deceptive responses without contaminating statements.
ORBIT
Identifies four traits of elite interviewers — honesty, empathy, autonomy-granting, and reflectiveness — managing both parties' conduct in the room.
Federal momentum, uneven state and local progress
The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center has revamped its programs to use science-based methods exclusively, and NCIS became the first federal agency to mandate both science-based interviewing and full recording of interrogations.
Progress is more variable outside federal agencies. California was among the first states to mandate recording and ban deception with juveniles. Departments like the LAPD and Wichita PD have rebuilt their training from the ground up — and ten states have now banned lying to juveniles in custody, with momentum building to extend that protection to adults.
Why the transformation isn't finished yet
Structural, cultural, and financial barriers all slow adoption — even where the research is settled.
18,000+ separate agencies
A decentralized system means every U.S. agency decides individually whether to adopt new methods, and smaller departments often lack resources for 3–5 days of intensive retraining.
Professional identity
Asking investigators to give up methods they've "successfully" used for decades challenges identity — even when the science shows rapport-based methods perform better.
$4B+ in wrongful convictions
Since 1989, that's the cost paid out for wrongful convictions tied in part to false confessions — but those costs land on city and state budgets, not the departments that could change practice.
Testimonials
Feedback from investigators, auditors and IG professionals who've trained with AIA.
Mark's training classes are a refreshing and engaging approach to gathering pertinent evidence during the interviewing process. He presents the material in a way that draws the audience in.
Mark's training is engaging, approachable, and genuinely enjoyable, yet firmly grounded in the latest science.
Mark has a myriad of law enforcement and public corruption investigation experience that makes him one of the highest rated instructors at the AIG Institutes.
Uniquely qualified to develop and deliver interviewing and interrogation training to new and experienced criminal and administrative investigators alike.
Mark's expertise in investigative interviewing sets him apart — an outstanding and enthusiastic instructor who received consistently favorable comments from students and colleagues.
Some of the best interviewing training I've ever seen and sent my detectives to. His practices and trainings evolve as he learns more from science-based information.
Frequently asked questions
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Committed to truth through science-based interviewing.
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(912) 571-6686