NCJ Number
60973
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 46 Issue: 10 Dated: (OCTOBER 1979) Pages: 40-42
Date Published
1979
Length
3 pages
Annotation
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS AND SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS OF THE BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS INTERVIEW (BAI), A TECHNIQUE FOR OBSERVING 'GUILTY' AND 'INNOCENT' BEHAVIOR IN A NON-ACCUSATORY INTERVIEW, ARE CONSIDERED.
Abstract
THE BAI, WHICH IS A FACE-TO-FACE NONACCUSATORY INTERVIEW LASTING ABOUT 10 TO 15 MINUTES, IS DESIGNED TO SCREEN OUT INNOCENT PARTIES AND NARROW ATTENTION TO SUSPECTS EVIDENCING 'GUILTY' BEHAVIOR. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BAI WAS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH EMPIRICAL STUDIES OF THE BEHAVIOR IN A NONACCUSATORY INTERVIEW OF PARTIES LATER ESTABLISHED TO BE GUILTY OR INNOCENT OF CRIME PROMPTING THE INTERVIEWS. APART FROM THE VERBAL CONTENT OF INTERVIEW ANSWERS, DISTINCT BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS WERE CONSISTENTLY SHOWN BY THE 'GUILTY' AND THE 'INNOCENT' TRUTHFUL SUSPECTS WERE MORE EASILY IDENTIFIED, PERMITTING THEIR ELIMINATION FROM SUSPICION TO LEAVE A SMALLER GROUP OF SUSPECTS LIKELY TO INCLUDE THE GUILTY PARTY. INNOCENT PERSONS WERE AT EASE, STRAIGHTFORWARD IN THEIR ANSWERS, AND SOUGHT EYE CONTACT WITH THE INTERVIEWER; DECEPTIVE SUSPECTS TENDED TO BE NERVOUS, AGGRESSIVE, RESENTFUL, EVASIVE, AND PRONE TO AVOID EYE CONTACT WITH THE INTERVIEWER. FIVE CASE EXAMPLES ARE PROVIDED TO SHOW HOW BAI WAS USED WITH A RELATIVELY LARGE NUMBER OF SUSPECTS TO NARROW THE FIELD OF INVESTIGATION OF PARTICULAR CRIMES. IN EACH CASE STUDY, 80 PERCENT OF MORE OF THE INNOCENT SUSPECTS WERE ELIMINATED THROUGH BAI. THE BAI CAN BE EFFECTIVELY USED WHEN POLYGRAPH TESTING IS NOT POSSIBLE OR PRACTICAL. (RCB)