The Truth Detector, An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide For Getting People To Reveal The Truth, by Jack Schafer, Ph.d, with Marvin Karlins, Ph.D, Atria 2020

When you think of a truth detector, do you picture Dustin Hoffman in "Marathon Man" strapped to a dentist's chair, being grilled by Laurence Olivier's Nazi - "Is it safe?  Is it safe?"  Or might there be other methods less painful than the dental probe?  During this endless season of politics, we can find so many examples that call for The Truth Detector - bring him on!

Schafer warns us, however, that The Truth Detector is not about detecting deception.  It's smarter, sneakier than that!  "...a technique you can use to extract honest information from friends, family members, coworkers - even total strangers - without them realizing what you are doing... get people to tell you the truth about subjects they would normally keep secret or lie about." !!!

The word is elicitation, a technique designed to elicit a truthful response from people.  Elicitation.  In fact, the author says, during a classroom demonstration he proved how he could obtain dates of birth, PIN numbers, Social Security numbers, bank account information and computer passwords from perfect strangers within a few minutes of meeting them!  Here we go!  Schafer cites a WWII German pioneer in using elicitation strategy, Hanns-Joachim Scharff, who worked for the Luftwaffe at their intelligence center and became one of their most successful interrogators during the war.  Scharff came off very unlike the Gestapo agents; in fact, says Schafer, he was successful in eliciting valuable information from POWs because he understood the importance of empathy, rapport and respect. 

The Elicitation Toolbox

Becoming a skilled interrogator like Scharff requires a range of strategies designed to align with the target and draw out critical information without raising red flags.  Accordingly, the author offers us a well-constructed toolbox designed to draw in and relax the target, all while piecing together certain key pieces of data.  To do that we must learn to observe the physical signs of "friendship" or rapport.  Key moves like the eyebrow flash, eye contact (vs staring,) the head tilt, and a sincere vs fake smile are key signals.  Follow these observations with verbal approaches using empathetic statements to keep the focus on the target, such as " You look like you are having a bad day," or "You look happy today."

Follow up these preliminaries with some subtle compliments, perhaps a bit of flattery, and attempt to find common ground.  How disarming!  Remember to be an active listener, and never interrupt.  Try to concentrate on what your target is saying as they are speaking.  Then, before responding, wait a second or two before speaking.  Wow, how unlike the protocol for our Presidential Debates!  And finally, Schafer quotes Epictetus, a Greek philosopher:  "We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak."

The Elicitation Toolbox contains chapter-by-chapter examples of other successful elicitation techniques, some of which will be challenging to learn:  

*  quotation of reported facts

*  Creating cognitive dissonance

*  quid pro quo

*  feigned disbelief

*  word echo

"  erroneous misattribution

Mill Girl Verdict:  More fun to read as an observer than a participant!

Patricia E. Moody

FORTUNE magazine  "Pioneering Woman in Mfg" 

IndustryWeek IdeaXchange Xpert

A Mill Girl at Blue Heron Journal, on-line resource for business thought-leaders and decision-makers,  patriciaemoody@gmail.com