Have you ever been interrogated? Congratulations, you are at risk because you have no experience, which means you do not have the skill to properly respond to possible psychological and physical pressure. I understand what you are for, because they always interrogate others, those who are guilty, and you are a crystal honest and law-abiding citizen. From experience, it is precisely such citizens who easily slander themselves, sign statements without reading them, and make many mistakes that lead to prison. Still, I hope that in reality you will not need this knowledge, but: “Forewarned is forearmed.” What can happen during interrogation? I will give typical examples of manipulation and psychological pressure. 1. Appeal to emotions. Repeating statements with increasing tension, raising the voice, screaming. Use of profanity or simply rude language. Actions. Ignore. A scream is sound vibrations, their job is to move the air, yours is to be calm. 2. Bringing “eyewitness accounts.” Using expressions: “everyone has already confessed,” “everyone has already turned you in,” “you have no choice, the witnesses are pointing at you,” etc. Actions. Ask to read the testimony of witnesses who allegedly incriminate and “surrender.” You always need specifics about who says what. Otherwise, if you believe, you may end up being the first witness to slander yourself and others. 3. Use repetition. Repeating the same statements and accusations leads to the fact that one gets used to them and begins to accept them not intellectually, but emotionally, simply to believe. A person always seems more convincing than what he remembers, even if the memorization occurred during a purely mechanical repetition in the process of emotional experience of an extreme situation. Repetition is the main means of suggestion, propaganda and persuasion, especially effective when critical thinking is reduced. Actions. Rejoice, it is already clear what they want from you. They convinced themselves of your guilt, and that’s good. Let them repeat the spells, but if there is a firm understanding that you have a different vision of the situation, then: a) if you are not lazy, constantly say the opposite; b) tell your version once and refer to it; c) be silent. 4. Providing some information. Report only information that is beneficial to the investigation. A person who does not have all the information may begin to trust only on the basis of part of it, especially if everything is presented logically. Actions. Demand complete information; if there is none, then there is nothing to talk about. 5. Using false analogies as pseudo-evidence of guilt. For example, “you were nearby, that means together,” “you knew what was happening, that means you participated.” These connections seem convincing, especially when a person is not allowed to think and soberly evaluate the information received. Actions. Ask the question: “Could this mean something else?” For example, “I was nearby, just a witness, not an accomplice.” 6. Posing questions according to the “either-or” principle, for example: - So, make up your mind: either you confess, or you greatly worsen your already difficult situation. Action. Choose not from this dilemma, but something third that suits you. For example, I talk about my innocence, and there are no claims against me. 7. Use of stamps. For example: “it has been established that...”, “everyone knows that you...”, “everyone understands...”, “it has been proven that...”. The person being interrogated does not always have the ability to ask simple questions, for example: “who established it, who specifically knows, who understands, how it was proven?” The use of stamps of personal assurance and guarantees that are not supported by anything. For example: “I guarantee you that...” “I have already had the opportunity to verify that...”. "I ask you to simply believe that..." “I tell you this as a specialist...” “The prosecutor assured me that if you give a confession,then..." Actions. Ask questions that are aimed at establishing specifics, they should begin with the words: what, where, when, who, to whom, how much, etc. All promises are empty, no one can guarantee you anything , ask for written promises, usually after this they report that they got excited 8. Using labels For example, “bandit”, “bribe taker”, “werewolf in uniform” People tend to believe and act in accordance with short names and labels. usually describe a specific incident or situation. A “self-fulfilling prophecy” is a phenomenon in which a definition of a situation causes a behavior that turns that definition into a truth. If called a “thug,” then an expectation of “thug behavior” is created that will soon appear. Ask for Action. stop calling names, you are not in kindergarten, demand communication without labels. 9. Unsubstantiated accusation. The accuser makes the other guilty and automatically creates a desire to justify himself. The accused, when giving evidence that later forms the basis of the accusation, often simply slanders himself. It may look like this: “If you start making excuses, it means you’re guilty.” Actions. There is only one answer to such accusations - prove it. 10. Insult. This is not necessarily profanity. Remarks about mental abilities, for example: “fool”, “idiot”, “moron” can be offensive. Insults cause negative emotions and a desire to respond in kind, which is not always correct, appropriate or possible. In a state of experiencing resentment, control over the situation is lost, and the ability to calmly think about the correct answer to the questions posed is reduced. Actions. The same as in point one. Interrogation is not the place to show emotion. You need to think, and not get into an argument with the insulter. 11. Sentences in the form of subordinate tense connectives. They begin with the words: before, before, after, during, since, etc. For example: “Before you tell how everything really happened, I want to warn you that we know everything " This sentence expects you to tell how things really happened. Just hear a warning before you do it. Actions. You can offer to write everything to the investigator himself, since he knows everything. 12. Using sentences with words: understand, notice, know, realize, etc. Example: “Do you understand how important a confession is to you?” Confessions are important; the only question is whether the person being interrogated understands this. Actions. Why do you actually need to admit to something if there is no guilt? Well, you don't have to give it. 13. Built-in questions. They are usually embedded within a larger sentence structure, allowing the question to be asked in a softer form. For example: “I’m wondering when you will give a confession”? It is assumed that the question is interesting, you will give a confession, the only question is - when? Actions. It is useful to ask in this case: “What makes you think that I have anything to confess at all?” 14. Use of truisms. A truism is the most obvious statement. Truisms are used to elicit a “yes” response. Example: “You are sitting here in my office, I am writing an interrogation report, and you must testify.” Everything seems to be correct, the thing is happening in the office - yes, the investigator is sitting with the protocol, filling it out - yes, but with the obligation to testify it is not obvious, but after two “yes”, somehow the third statement seems logical, although it has no meaning relations to the first two. Actions. You can point out the illogicality in the investigator’s statement and say that you yourself.