Cognitive Interview Training

Everyone knows how to ask questions, but that is not investigative interviewing. Many officers believe that they are good at interviewing but the only thing they are interested in is getting a confession. What good law enforcement officers (and human source handlers) need to know is how to access a person’s memories and extract the maximum amount of accurate information.

Knowing how memories are constructed and retained, and how we can access those memories without damaging them, as we access them, is essential knowledge for anyone involved in law enforcement. If we don’t see where potential errors can occur in the process, we cannot take measures to reduce or eliminate the risks involved. Many times we assume that a person is ‘lying’ when what has occurred is that what that the interviewing officer has interfered in the accessing of the memory.

At HSM our training enables attendees to understand the nature of memory and the psychology involved in carrying out successful interviews. We deliver investigative interviewing to both law enforcement and the private sector. All our training is bespoke - you tell us the audience and the nature of the training required and we provide you the expertise and deliver content relevant to your needs.

All our training is underpinned by the latest psychological research.