interviews
Wicklander-Zulawski Tip of the Month
Leaving your subject alone prior to the interview?
There are many seasoned investigators who prefer to leave their subject sitting alone in the interview room to think about what they have done, contemplate the consequences or wonder who the interviewer is speaking with and what decisions are being made outside of the room.
Like anything, this may be a successful tactic in some scenarios. However, it is not something that we would typically recommend. Remember how mad you were at your doctor the last time you waited 45 minutes for them in the examination room? Why would we want to make our subjects mad at us before we even start our interviews?
Anytime the subject is left alone they have the opportunity to plan for the ensuing conversation and potentially create a false alibi or strengthen their resolve to deny their actions.
Again, after conducting a quick cost-benefit analysis it is usually a much better choice to call your subject into the room when you are ready to start the interview and to remain with the subject until the interview is completed.
Best of luck…
