A newly hired corporate investigator is conducting interviews to collect information and determine who is responsible for the loss of a missing…

Effective investigative interviewing requires the continuous observation of non-verbal communication from the very beginning of the interaction. This initial observation period is crucial for establishing a behavioral baseline—the interviewee's normal, relaxed state. Once this baseline is established, the investigator can more accurately identify deviations in body language, tone, and other non-verbal cues that may indicate stress, deception, or emotional discomfort in response to specific questions. Waiting until a later stage would mean the investigator has no reliable reference point to interpret changes in the interviewee's behavior, significantly diminishing the value of non-verbal analysis.

A. Waiting until the accusatory stage prevents the investigator from establishing a behavioral baseline, making it difficult to interpret non-verbal cues accurately.

B. While useful for comparison, observing non-verbal responses is critical in the initial interview to assess credibility in real-time, not just for re-interviews.

C. An investigator cannot reliably detect deception without first observing the person's normal, truthful behavior to establish a baseline for comparison.

1. ASIS International. (2021). Protection of Assets (POA)

Investigations. Section 3.3.3

"The Interview Process." This section emphasizes that the interview process begins with establishing rapport and a baseline

stating

"The interviewer should observe the subject’s behavior from the first moment of contact... This initial observation helps establish a baseline for the subject’s normal behavior."

2. Vrij

A. (2008). Detecting Lies and Deceit: Pitfalls and Opportunities (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons. Chapter 10

"The Interview." This academic text on deception detection explains that an interviewer must first observe a subject's normal behavior during non-threatening

rapport-building questions at the start of an interview to establish a baseline before moving to more critical topics.

3. Michigan State University. (n.d.). CJ 210: Introduction to Forensic Science Courseware. Module on "Interview and Interrogation." The course materials detail the importance of observing behavior throughout the entire interview process

starting with the initial contact

to establish a baseline against which subsequent reactions can be measured. This is presented as a fundamental principle of investigative interviewing.