INTERVIEWS
Investigator Logic
Through the course of an investigation, investigators must utilize some form of logic to help piece together the hypothesis of the event under investigation. As the investigation continues and interviews become a part of the investigation process, there are various forms of logical reasoning utilized to transition the hypothesis from theory to becoming a closer reflection of facts. Let’s take a look at forms of investigator logic used during interviews.
Deductive, Inductive, and Abductive reasoning are three basic logical reasoning types that would be utilized during the course of an investigation. Generally speaking, they can be outlined as follows:
Deductive reasoning deals with certainty and involves reasoning towards certain conclusions,
Inductive reasoning deals with probability and involves reasoning towards likely conclusions, and
Abductive reasoning deals with guesswork and involves reasoning towards possible conclusions based on that guesswork and hypothesis for further testing.
Applying these reasoning types to an investigator’s logic can help with planning and prep for any interview as well as evaluating the results of the interview.
Think about how investigations may start with some form of abductive reasoning and a hypothesis as to how an incident may have occurred. As information is gathered and hypotheses are tested, you can move to a more inductive and deductive thought process.
Recognizing these forms of logic can help an interviewer become more objective and focus on various explanations to how and why an incident may have occurred rather than jump to inaccurate assumptions. The question is, are you using a sound logical process during the course of your interview preparation?
