CFI Interview & Interrogation Techniques 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of question should be AVOIDED at the start of an investigative interview to prevent anchoring the witness's memory?
- Open-ended questions
- Leading questions (Correct answer)
- Probing questions
- Follow-up questions
Correct answer: Leading questions
Leading questions suggest a particular answer and can contaminate witness memory, especially early in an interview before the free narrative is established.
Question 2: During the cognitive interview technique, the 'mental reinstatement of context' instruction asks the interviewee to:
- Physically return to the fire scene before answering questions
- Mentally recreate the environmental and emotional context of the event (Correct answer)
- Review photographs of the scene before recalling details
- Reconstruct the event using a timeline provided by the investigator
Correct answer: Mentally recreate the environmental and emotional context of the event
Mental reinstatement asks witnesses to mentally place themselves back at the scene, recalling the sights, sounds, smells, and emotions to enhance memory retrieval.
Question 3: What is the significance of the 'point of no return' in the Reid Technique of interrogation?
- The moment the suspect requests an attorney
- The point at which the investigator believes the suspect cannot recant their admission (Correct answer)
- The stage where polygraph results are introduced
- When the interrogation room door is locked
Correct answer: The point at which the investigator believes the suspect cannot recant their admission
The 'point of no return' refers to when the suspect has made a damaging admission that is difficult to retract, used as a psychological milestone in the Reid approach.
Question 4: A fire investigator is interviewing an elderly witness who appears confused about the sequence of events. The BEST approach is to:
- Conclude the witness is unreliable and end the interview
- Use short, simple questions and allow extra time for responses (Correct answer)
- Ask compound questions to cover multiple events simultaneously
- Have the witness sign a statement based on the investigator's summary
Correct answer: Use short, simple questions and allow extra time for responses
Elderly witnesses may need additional time and simplified questions due to cognitive processing differences, but their testimony can still be valuable with appropriate accommodations.
Question 5: In the context of fire investigation interviews, what is 'corroboration'?
- A technique for building rapport with hostile witnesses
- Evidence or testimony that supports and confirms other evidence or statements (Correct answer)
- A legal requirement to record all witness statements
- The process of confronting a witness with contradictory evidence
Correct answer: Evidence or testimony that supports and confirms other evidence or statements
Corroboration refers to independent evidence or statements that confirm and strengthen the reliability of other evidence obtained in the investigation.
Question 6: When a witness invokes their Fifth Amendment right during a fire investigation interview, the investigator should:
- Continue questioning on unrelated topics to build rapport
- Immediately cease questioning and consult with the prosecuting attorney (Correct answer)
- Ask only civil insurance-related questions since the Fifth Amendment only applies criminally
- Offer immunity to compel the witness to testify
Correct answer: Immediately cease questioning and consult with the prosecuting attorney
When a witness invokes Fifth Amendment protections, questioning must stop and investigators must seek legal guidance before proceeding.
Question 7: Which interview approach is specifically designed to maximize information retrieval from cooperative witnesses by using memory-enhancement mnemonics?
- Reid Technique
- PEACE model
- Cognitive Interview (Correct answer)
- Motivational Interviewing
Correct answer: Cognitive Interview
The Cognitive Interview was developed by Fisher and Geiselman and uses memory-enhancing techniques such as mental reinstatement, reporting everything, recalling in different orders, and changing perspectives.
CFI Interview & Interrogation Techniques 3
Which type of question should be AVOIDED at the start of an investigative interview to prevent anchoring the witness's memory?