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Behavior analysis interview (BAI)

Definition

An interview technique developed by John Reid that involves a structured diagnostic question sequence and claims to differentiate truthful from deceptive subjects based on verbal and non-verbal behaviour. It is widely taught but its scientific validity for deception detection is contested.

Related terms

Cognitive interview
An evidence-based technique developed by Geiselman and Fisher in the 1980s that uses specific memory-retrieval strategies (context reinstatement, report everything, mental reinstatement,...
Cognitive load
The mental effort required to process and respond. Some interview approaches deliberately increase cognitive load on the basis that maintaining a fabricated...
Free narrative
The uninterrupted portion of an interview in which the subject recounts events in their own words and order. Research consistently shows that...
PEACE model
A five-stage interview framework developed in England and Wales in 1992 as an alternative to confession-focused interrogation: Preparation and Planning, Engage and...
Reid technique
The dominant North American police interrogation method developed by John E. Reid and Fred Inbau (1962; 5th edition 2013). Characterised by a...

Explained in

  • Forensic Interviewing TechniquesAn interview technique developed by John Reid that involves a structured diagnostic question sequence and claims to differentiate truthful from deceptive subje...

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