• Energy Source;

• Acquiring Information;

• Making Decisions; and

• Lifestyle.

As you learn more about personality-based interviewing, you will begin to recognize each of the preferences in four bi-polar scales identified:

• Extrovert/Introvert;

• Sensing/Intuition;

• Feeling/Thinking; and

• Judging/Perceiving.

You will do this through observing a combination of verbal and nonverbal cues. To assess the subject's personality type and to start the bonding process, make statements to the subject about what you have observed and then ask questions. The accuracy of typing is verified or contradicted by the subject's responses. This allows the interviewer to continue observing behavior and adjust his own assessment. Total accuracy of the typing is not essential to establishing rapport because the exchange of questions and answers are all about the subject and play to his or her own sense of identity and desire to be understood. I call this approach "advance and retreat" as it requires flexibility of both subject and interviewer.

While the advance and retreat method can be effective without relying on measurably accurate personality typing, it does lead to highly accurate assessments and behavioral predictions much of the time. To illustrate this, consider the following polygraph which I recently conducted for a private attorney in the same area that I conduct polygraph examinations for all of the law enforcement agencies. The pretest consent form included the statement that I conduct polygraph examinations for the law enforcement agency that is investigating the attorney's client. The client signed the consent form acknowledgment.

During the test, it was determined that the client was using countermeasures. He was confronted and admitted that he was just nervous. Due to the obvious countermeasures, the results were reported as inconclusive. Later, this client took another polygraph examination with a different examiner and the results were reported as No Deception Indicated. I received a telephone call from the attorney's client demanding to know who I had talked to in the District Attorney's Office; that the DA was still actively pursing his case. His reasoning was that I knew so much about him with the personality profiling technique that I must have talked to someone.

Another benefit of the advance and retreat method is that it helps to counteract any preconceptions you may have carried into the interview Experienced polygraph examiners certainly know the importance of maintaining objectivity even under adverse circumstances. We have all heard rebuffs from fellow officers when they think our results are wrong. If the interviewer has already established an opinion of the subject prior to the interview, objectivity is difficult. Prior events obviously carry some credibility, but events change. Consider for example, a case where a female reported that a male employee where she worked had tried to rape her. This particular female had filed an unfounded similar report before this incidence. Upon interviewing the suspect, however, he confessed to the attempted rape. It is important that preconceived ideas not be present in the interview room. It will take away from your ability to uncover the truth.

The advance and retreat method is a highly effective way to establish rapport with your subject. This technique was developed through my readings about a horse trainer by the name of ³Monty Roberts. Mr. Roberts has gained fame by developing a method of communicating with horses using their natural body language and a technique he refers to as join up. Founded on a consistent set of principles, communication, and trust, Monty’s methods initiate a relationship; he never resorts to violence. You may be familiar with Monty Roberts name and work as it was the focus in a Robert Redford movie, THE HORSE WHISPERER starring Robert Redford.

I use my own version of an “Advance and Retreat” method in my interviews. When a subject first walks into my interview room, I accommodate his natural desire to withdraw or become defensive, a form of “retreat,” from what at the very least is an intimidating experience. After observing his behavior, I make an initial assessment of his preferences on the four scales reference above (extrovert/introvert; sensing/intuition; thinking feeling; perception/judgment) and then I use what I know about these preferences to share predictions with the subject about his own behavior. The process is self-correcting, because the subject will either validate or deny my predictions, allowing me to make modifications until I get a clear fix on the personality of the individual I am dealing with.

The personality profiling creates a natural curiosity resulting in the desire to know more or “advance” toward the interviewer. People like to talk about themselves when others show interest and this is what occurs with this method. At a gut level, people tend to interpret their personality as their identity, the essence of who they are. The interviewer who can create a connection with the subject based on an understanding of that subject's personality, connects with his sense of self. Subjects recognize the understanding demonstrated by the interview as rapport and becomes more responsive and less defensive. The interviewer actually begins to be able to better interpret the subjects communication because he is able to move into harmony with what the subject is trying to communicate and not just the words.

HISTORY OF MYERS BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR
The concept of using personality typing to interview subjects originated through long term use of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI was developed by an American mother and daughter team, Katharine Briggs and Isabel Myers. The work of Myers and Briggs was started in the 1920's by Katharine Briggs. She was interested in human behavior and, through her observations and reading of biographies, developed an original way to describe it. Her theory was published in the New Republic magazine on December 26, 1926.

At the same time as she was conducting her research, Carl Jung, the Swiss psychoanalyst, had developed a theory of personality types. Jung published this theory in his book, Psychological Types, in 1923. He postulated that an individual's apparently random behavior is not really random at all. If carefully observed, a pattern will emerge that reflects that person's preferences for energy source, taking in information, and making decisions.

When Briggs read Jung's work, she found it to be very similar to her own. She added the concepts of perception and judgment as a new dimension to the three preferences he first identified – Extroversion/Introversion; Sensing/Intuition; Feeling/Thinking; Perception/Judgment - thus making explicit in her own work what she saw as implicit in Jung's theory.

Using the model that evolved out of this work as a lens, one can actually observe daily illustrations of human behavior that is orderly, consistent and predictable over time. The example used frequently in the MBTI publisher's training is that of right and left handedness. Some of us prefer to use our right hand. We do it because it is easier and requires less energy. This preferences can be changed but only if one is motivated by the need to do so, by the loss of one hand for example. Individuals can also choose to modify behavior in opposition to preferences but generally they have to be motivated by the need to be more effective in a particular situation.

Together with her daughter, Isabel Myers, Briggs began to integrate her work with that of Jung. In the 1940's, Myers created a paper-and-pencil inventory based on Jung's theory and her mother's observations. Part of her motivation was to help people discover more about themselves. She was also interested in helping the war effort by assisting managers place people in occupational roles most compatible with their preferences. It took Myers more than 20 years to fully develop the MBTI.

The MBTI provides a useful measure of personality by looking at eight personality preferences that all people use in different degrees. These eight preferences are organized into four bi-polar scales. When you take the MBTI, the four preferences that you identify as most like you (one from each scale) are combined into what is called a "type."

While the interviewing technique presented here is based on the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, it goes beyond the scope of the instrument by offering a practical approach to using the concepts and theory on which it is based without actually administering it. This approach allows interviewers to understand and effectively deal with human behavior in a variety of situations with predictability.

The concept of using personality typing when conducting interviews is not new to experienced interviewers. Many interviewers practice elements of the technique instinctively without being aware of the theory that supports it. Personality typing, using the concepts and principles which support the MBTI, goes far beyond this gut instinct or awareness. It allows the interviewer to identify categories or traits and to draw on his knowledge of how these traits interact to produce predictable behavior.

Using this technique will increase an interviewer's ability to obtain the truth. This technique is about communicating with subjects in the language that they understand best. The subject will identify with and feel rapport toward the interviewer. The truth is more likely to come out when the interviewer demonstrates and understanding of the subject as an individual through understanding his personality. A case in point involved a polygraph examination that I had administered to a suspect in the homicide of a thirteen year old juvenile. I informed the subject of his deceptive polygraph results His reply to me was that he liked me and wanted to explain how he thought the homicide occurred but stated that he did not do it. His explanation was exactly what the crime scene revealed. His testimony was admitted into evidence at his capitol murder trial and he was convicted of the homicide.

UNDERSTANDING THE PREFERENCE SCALES
Are you energized by being around people or by an inner orientation toward ideas, concepts and abstractions? How do you take in information? Upon what kind of information do you base your decisions? What is your lifestyle or work orientation? These are preferences that all of us have and demonstrate in normal, everyday behavior. We use these preferences in the same way we use either our left hand or right hand as dominant. It is natural for right-handed people to use their right hand. Although one could learn, out of necessity, to use his opposite hand as dominant, it is easier to use the hand we are most comfortable using. The same is true of personality preferences. If you are quiet by nature, you will tend to limit conversation with people you do not know. Can you change that? Absolutely, if you have the awareness and motivation to do so. Proficient understanding of this technique allows one to intentionally change his behavior as the situation demands. To begin to build that understanding, lets take a closer look at each of the four bi-polar scales identified by the MBTI.

Extraversion (E) and Introversion(I)
The first preference to be reviewed is the extraversion - introversion scale. This scale reflects whether an individual is energized by being around people and things or prefers to focus on concepts and ideas. Generally speaking, an Extravert usually shows some type of nonverbal expression while the opposite is true for an Introvert. In approaching an interview situation, it is best to go into it in an introverted mode which requires a lower tone of voice, short sentences and straight to the point. An interviewer can switch from the introverted mode to an extroverted mode as the situation requires, without turning off a subject. It is the opposite going in as an extrovert and later trying to switch to an introvert. Extraverted behavior can overwhelm or alienate an introvert, who may tend to withdraw and tune the extravert out. Once the subject has decided to turn you off, he is unlikely to change his mind and give you a second chance.

Extroverts and introverts have different approaches to the world. Extroverts are very verbal and actually think out loud. They are relaxed and confident with people; they like variety and action and are readily approachable by others. Experience indicates that most con artists are extraverts. In the case of armed robbers, experience indicates that they are primarily introverts who usually have some type of dependence on alcohol and/or drugs. Drugs allow an introvert to become an extrovert. In an interview situation, extraverts use obvious nonverbal gestures and facial expressions. This preference group has a tendency to interrupt you, and, conversely, can and must be interrupted by the interviewer. If you don't interrupt, the extravert will control the interview through constant verbalizing. This is true in deceptive and non-deceptive subjects.

Subjects who are often trying to “beat the interview” will use the extraverted preference to maintain control in the interview and intimidate the interviewer. The best response here is for the interviewer to go into a modified introverted mode with the subject. This involves a quiet tone of voice, use of short sentences, and constant interruptions. This is a countermeasure to regain control of the interview. It is designed to throw the subject off balance.

Introverts are generally very quiet people. Their answers are usually given in a low tone of voice and short sentences. They engage in conversation when led by questions. The inability to maintain eye contact is typical of this preference and should not necessarily be viewed as deceptive behavior. When being interviewed, an introvert likes to reflect before answering. Periods of silence are common with the introvert, and the interviewer should deliberately incorporate them. A few minutes alone to reflect is an effective technique for obtaining admissions from introverts. This technique has the opposite effect with extraverts. Periods of silence for extraverts allow them to build up resistance and regain composure.

It is important for the interviewer to always touch the subject physically by shaking hands. Tell the subject your name and extend your hand. The introvert's handshake will be with the arm extended below his waist and will quickly release your hand. The extrovert will extend his hand straight out out and make contact with your hand until you let it go. An extravert will often use a “very” firm handshake as a control mechanism over you. At some point during the interview, I will always point this out to them.

Introverted subjects must be interviewed with caution. Based on my observations, cases involving employees shooting co-workers were probably committed by introverts. In pre employment interviews, I can usually associate prior admissions of workplace violence with introverts. In my experience, terminations for insubordination, poor attitudes, fighting and arrests for domestic violence are also associated with introverts. This may be because introverts keep things inside until they explode. The advantage that they have is that they are very difficult to read.

Previously I mentioned a technique I refer to as advance and retreat. Interviewers can type subjects verbally by making statements and asking questions. While research indicates that 50 percent of the population prefer the extraverted mode, my experience indicates that the average subject that is being interviewed regarding a criminal matter is generally an introvert. This personality may confuse you especially if a suspect communicates easily. If this is the case, look for this personalty type to use the ⁴Perceiving preference.

How do you, as the interviewer, determine which are true introverts and which are extraverts?

Initially, you advance by saying something like, “You appear to be a quiet person.” If they agree, you know you are dealing with an introvert. If they disagree, you retreat. It does not affect the interview situation if you are wrong initially. The key to this technique is to let the subject know you want to understand how they think and look at things and will not proceed with the interview until you do. Be aware that some subjects will try to fake it but experience with the MBTI limits this countermeasure.

The subject now has two things to deal with, the facts of the case and you. As you type a subject, he begins to realize that you can predict his behavior. When you start pointing out aspects of his nonverbal behavior, you are placing emphasis on this ability. Consider, for example, a subject that I interviewed who was leaning forward in his chair, obviously trying to intimidate me. When he decided to move back, I made the following statement to him: “I noticed that you moved back in your chair. You seem to be more relaxed now.” This demonstrated to that subject that I was alert to and could predict his behavior. From the subject's standpoint, he saw a stranger who seemed to understand him. This started the process of bringing that person into my area of influence. What normally happens at this point is that the subject begins to allow me to take control and direct the interview. Control and direction of the interview is what makes it possible to obtain significant admissions.

Sensing (S) and Intuition (N)
The next preference concerns two opposite ways of understanding one's surroundings: sensing and intuition. It deals with how we choose to obtain information and what kind of information we trust. Approximately 75 percent of the population prefers sensing, and most of the subjects you interview will use the sensing preference. People with a preference for sensing trust information that comes through the five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. It has been my interviewing experience that the sensing preference is most prevalent in people who commit crimes. Sensing subjects are very detail oriented, choose not to look down the road, and trust only what they have experienced. They communicate and should be addressed in the present tense. Consider for example a young high school suspect who confessed to being involved in the robbery and murder of a store clerk. After he confessed, his only concern was whether he would get to play college baseball. His present orientation and total lack of awareness of long term consequences was startling.

Intuitive types rely on possibilities, on what can happen and their “gut feeling.” Future possibilities are more real to the intuitive than the here and now. One key to recognizing a subject who prefers intuition is his use of the future tense, words ending in “ing”, and the presence of the word “possibilities.” The interviewer should approach witnesses with caution who prefer intuition over sensing. They are likely to make statements that they believe are true even though the action never really happened. This is part of the big picture that an intuitive sees.

If the subject ever uses the term “possibilities,” you are probably dealing with an intuitive. One example of such a case involved a reported jewel theft from a female's apartment. The main suspect was the ex-boyfriend. He admitted the possibility that he could have taken the jewelry but had consumed so much alcohol that night, he wasn't sure. In our experience, an intuitive is unlikely to commit a crime for immediate gratification but rather for some future result or impact. In the case mentioned, the theft was designed to get even with the girlfriend. This subject agreed to replace the cost of the jewelry.

With a 75% probability of the subject using the Sensing preference, I use the following scenario: “I think that you are probably the type of person that remembers every good and bad thing that has ever happened to them. If someone ever lies or cheats you, I know that you are capable of forgiving them but you never forget.” This typing scenario works very well. A suspect that commits a crime has a high probability of being an S.

Thinking (T) and Feeling (F)

The next preference deals with how we make decisions: thinking or feeling. Thinking types value logic and facts and appear detached from feeling issues. Interviewers should always be organized in presenting the factual aspects of the case to a thinker. With consistent logic applied by the interviewer, a thinking subject will usually provide some, maybe small, but significant admissions. A case in point involved a man accused of sexually molesting a young boy. I was administering a polygraph examination to the subject in his attorney's office in an attempt to clear him of the accusations. During the post test interview, he admitted that he was trying to “beat the test” he was paying for. He was a definite thinker and felt compelled to respond to the consistent facts of the case. This was not a confession, but it was the next best thing!

Subjects who prefer to base decisions on feeling are different from thinkers in that they like harmony, find it difficult to confront and readily show their emotions. It is important that an interviewer does not interpret an obvious show of emotions as a sure sign of deceptive behavior. The feeling subjects are usually very likable and have a general tendency to be passive.

The subject with a preference for feeling is liable to give a false confession when confronted by aggressive interviewers. They usually confess due to the guilt phenomenon present in all feelers. Because the feeling preference has a desire to promote harmony, they have a tendency to fixate blame on themselves as a first option and confess to preserve harmony.

One clear example of this was a suspect who had been indicted for the murder of his girl friend's infant son. This suspect had given a quasi-confession to interviewers, stating that he had smothered the baby to stop him from crying. When he was subsequently interviewed in jail by another interviewer, he recanted the confession. Both the prosecution and defense stipulated to polygraph results. When I interviewed the suspect, I profiled him as an introverted feeling type who had a propensity to please those in authority. A later psychological evaluation stated essentially the same thing. This subject was exonerated of all charges by a grand jury that had previously indicated him for capital murder. By the way, the polygraph results were NDI.

Admitting to something that we did not do may sound strange, but depending on the personality type, it is very possible. My experience indicates that those who make significant admissions through personality typing will not recant.

Most research indicates that approximately equal percentages of the population prefer thinking or feeling in making decisions. Crimes involving thinkers usually are robberies, burglaries and homicides. For feelers, crimes such as embezzlement and other indirect or non-confrontational offenses are more common. My experience suggests that feelers are most likely to participate in offenses that cast no direct suspicion on themselves or involve a justification for their feelings. It is unusual for this preference type to commit a crime where the suspicion falls directly on them. I suspect that false positive polygraph results are often associated with a Feeling subject due to the fact that they have difficulty separating the concept of feeling guilty and actually being guilty of the the crime under investigation.

Judgment (J) and Perception (P)
Last is the preference relating to lifestyle and work orientation: judgment and perception. Subjects who have a preference for judgment tend to be decisive and purposeful. They will feel anxious until a decision has been made and closure obtained. The subject who uses the judging preference wants closure and is motivated to provide the necessary information to the interviewer to complete the task and close the issue. The individual with this preference will plan and calculate moves and the interviewer should remember to keep the interview organized and structured for these individuals. They often appear early for your interview and most always, have some type of time piece close to hand. A good question to determine this preference is to ask the subject what would they do if their time piece was taken away. The J will respond by saying that they would be lost while the P could care less.

Subjects who have a preference for perception are spontaneous and curious. They sometimes feel anxious when they have to make a decision because they don't want to close off their options when something better might turn up! My experience indicates that Perception along with Introversion are the primary preferences for armed robbery suspects. Subjects with a preference for perception are very difficult to interview because they can switch subjects in midstream. This is a definite countermeasure to distract the interviewer. Interviewers need to be prepared to spend a lot of time with these kinds of suspects because they will generally give information in bits and pieces. If I find a suspect trying to change subjects, I will verbally instruct him to focus on the issue at hand. This is a direct use of the typing technique.

The following is a good example of the differences in how crimes are committed by a J and P. A deposit bag is accidentally left on the unlocked manager's desk. Obviously this a crime of opportunity. By the time a J completes his plan to steal the money, a P would already have taken it. This is a good way to formulate suspects based on a lifestyle analysis of a crime.

SUMMARY
The personality preferences that have been described will be exhibited by subjects you interview at one time or another. By recognizing and focusing on each preference in an individual suspect, you can recognize behavior patterns projecting themselves and base your interview on a systematic technique as opposed to a gut feeling. You can navigate by a road map in a consistent manner. Knowing a direction the interview will take is a major stress reducer for an interviewer.

Begin to type the subject as soon as he walks into the interview room, but be aware that his behavior may change as he begins to relax. Even though you typed the subject's behavior initially, be prepared to type him again if necessary. He is more likely to exhibit his true preferences after he adjusts to the interview and becomes more comfortable with you as the interviewer.

After typing the subject, observe him for nonverbal changes in behavior and ask him about them as they occur. This demonstrates your explicit interest in the subject, and it will further build a connection or type of bond of understanding with the subject. Once the subject trusts that bond, quality information is likely to follow.

FINAL THOUGHTS
The systematic personality/behavior typing approach presented in this article provides a technique or template that interviewers can use in interviewing victims, witnesses and suspects. I like the comics page character Dennis' statement: “I color outside the lines because there's more room.” Similarly, using this approach expands insight into the subject and reveals new options available to you as an interviewer.

All interviewers have as their major goal the task of eliciting information about the facts of the case under investigation. Interviewers who elect to use the personality/behavior typing technique will find that, as they begin to understand different personality types, they will also acquire greater understanding of their own personality preferences. With that understanding comes greater self-control and effectiveness in all contacts, personal and professional. The inherent stresses of interviewing will recede to a more manageable level. Once you learn how to use this technique, your new skills will allow you to readily adapt to any type of interviewing situation. As you master the technique, you will walk into any interview with increased self confidence, knowing that you have the ability to understand the subject sitting before you.

To use this technique most effectively, take your time. Don't try to interview when you are not in the right frame of mind. You know when you have reached that point. If you are using an interviewing technique now with which you feel comfortable, stick with it. Personality-based interviewing is not designed to replace your techniques but to enhance it. The personality/behavior typing approach to interviewing enhances your traditional routine because it allows you to create a distinct relationship with the subject in the first few minutes of the interview. The stress you reduce on yourself, the interviewer, you increase and target toward the subject.

That is the complete personality typing technique - a guided approach to interviewing. You will find that your ability to get subjects to reveal things will increase, not because you coerced them but because you influenced them to want to communicate. As a consequence, they will tell you more. That, of course, is always your goal - to secure truthful and relevant information about the case under investigation.

IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH
The author has used behavior typing to analyze the “personality” of a specific criminal event which can then be linked to likely personality of the perpetrator(s). The application of personality preference awareness in human interaction is wide open and the author, a practitioner encourages researchers to focus more attention on questions like the following, some of which, admittedly, may be tongue in cheek!

• An alternative to “enhanced” interrogation techniques;

• Quantitative correlation between specific types of criminal acts and specific personality preference;

• Rehabilitation and “good type development,” i.e. the ability to choose behavior that is contrary to preferences in order to be effective or successful in specific situations

In conclusion, the author understands skepticism regarding this technique. I am sure that doubters looked at e-Harmony with equal skepticism while the business owners are defending their ideas “all the way to the bank.” I have been told that these ideas are just “too simple,” “too logical,” and “too cheap!” These ideas and this application of them cannot be patented or commercialized. Practitioners can be self-taught.

I challenge doubters to take a look at the anecdotal evidence (there is much more to share) and carry it to the next level. Consider this article a “testimony” if you like. Anecdotally, this works. I write and I teach because I want to share a technique that has greatly enhanced my ability to be effective in diverse circumstances with the law enforcement community. It is tough work out there and we all need to share what we know that can increase the odds for success – and by that we mean finding innocent people truthful and guilty people deceptive. I know this technique works; I challenge the researchers measure and document why it works for the benefit of examiners in the field. Meanwhile, I will keep helping them learn how to use it.

RESOURCES FOR ADDITIONAL READING

1Preference for organizing and structuring information to decide in a personal, value-oriented way.

2Preference for organizing and structuring information to decide in a logical, objective way.

3 Mr. Roberts' web site is www.montyroberts.com

4Perceiving is defined as a preference for living a spontaneous and flexible life.