Principles of Kinesic Interview and Interrogation (Practical Aspects of Criminal & Forensic Investigation) (Hardcover)

by Stan B. Walters (Editor) "From smiles to frowns, crying to anger, crossed arms to open palms, the gestures of the human animal have been a constant source of fascination..." (more)
Key Phrases: Practical Kinesic Principle, Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
- Jim Miles, Police Investigator, Columbia, South Carolina on Amazon.com

... an elegant and comprehensive contribution to the field of interviewing. Within the span of 360 well-indexed pages, [the author] brings together the latest ideas and techniques on interviewing.  Clearly, the author understands the theater of the interview. … Readers … will enjoy the refreshing sojourn through the complex dynamics of interviewing.  … Walters, a true student of human behavior who possesses practical experience in interviewing, has produced a work that approximates the ideal of what an interview book should be about. … Readers of this book will learn much form this great teacher.
— FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

A volume in the Practical Aspects of Criminal & Forensic Investigation series
Series edited by Vernon J. Geberth, Practical Homicide Investigation Inc., New York, USA

The ability to recognize deception is extremely important in my field, and there are many manuals of instructions on the subject. Mr. Walters', however, gives the reader/researcher the keys to EXTRACTING the verbal and non-verbal reactions the body has when stressed. It also covers what happens to the body and speech when a person is ready to confess. … Since my introduction to Mr. Walters' book, my confession rate has sky rocketed! I obtain solid witness statements and when conducting internal investigations, officers come right out and 'fess up' rather than be interrogated. All my awards over the last three years including the 1998 Officer of the Year for my agency, I owe to this book.

The ability to recognize deception is extremely important in my field, and there are many manuals of instructions on the subject. Mr. Walters’, however, gives the reader/researcher the keys to EXTRACTING the verbal and non-verbal reactions the body has when stressed. It also covers what happens to the body and speech when a person is ready to confess. … Since my introduction to Mr. Walters’ book, my confession rate has sky rocketed! I obtain solid witness statements and when conducting internal investigations, officers come right out and ‘fess up’ rather than be interrogated. All my awards over the last three years including the 1998 Officer of the Year for my agency, I owe to this book.
— Jim Miles, Police Investigator, Columbia, South Carolina on Amazon.com

The use of clear and relevant photo examples coupled with the concrete descriptions of nonverbal behaviors and their underlying meanings, gives the reader a great deal of insight into the process of deciphering truth from deception.
— Crime and Justice International, December 2002

Without any hesitation, I would like to say this book is the best I have seen.
— Jong Ryul Kim, Senior Prosecutor, Republic of South Korea

Without any hesitation, I would like to say this book is the best I have seen.
- Jong Ryul Kim, Senior Prosecutor, Republic of South Korea

[A]n elegant and comprehensive contribution to the field of interviewing. Within the span of 360 well-indexed pages, [the author] brings together the latest ideas and techniques on interviewing. Clearly, the author understands the theater of the interview. … Readers … will enjoy the refreshing sojourn through the complex dynamics of interviewing. … Walters, a true student of human behavior who possesses practical experience in interviewing, has produced a work that approximates the ideal of what an interview book should be about. … Readers of this book will learn much form this great teacher.
- FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

…I find it compelling to the point that I have trouble with the concept that any officer or investigator could function properly without this type of information. I find the book to be straightforward, direct, and the text content does a good job of verifying the subject matter to an empirical level of understanding. The pictures also bring to life the point being made…Great reading. It will be a necessary tool in every investigators kit.
- Harold Jones, 24 Year Ohio Police Officer and High Tech Crime Investigator

…I find it compelling to the point that I have trouble with the concept that any officer or investigator could function properly without this type of information. I find the book to be straightforward, direct, and the text content does a good job of verifying the subject matter to an empirical level of understanding. The pictures also bring to life the point being made…Great reading. It will be a necessary tool in every investigators kit.
— Harold Jones, 24 Year Ohio Police Officer and High Tech Crime Investigator --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
In 1975, research studies performed by the Rand Corporation found that the single most important factor directly affecting the outcome of any investigation is the quality of information obtained from the witness or victim of the event. It follows that proper interviewing and interrogation techniques can significantly affect the success of an investigation. Principles of Kinesic Interview and Interrogation explores the complex challenges of basic and advanced interview and interrogation techniques. It discusses the multi-phase behavioral analysis system of kinesic interviewing, and shows how this system is used to conduct more effective and efficient interpersonal communications. It covers the principles of basic kinesics, including how to determine behavior from speech and body language, and also illustrates how behavior is often exhibited in written statements. In Principles of Kinesic Interview and Interrogation, these behavioral attributes are shown to indicate the "psychological fingerprint" of a particular person, which then can be combined with diagnoses of verbal and non-verbal behavior to develop an interview and interrogation that is specifically profiled for a particular subject. This book describes in detail the Practical Kinesic Analysis and Interrogation Phases. It shows how, in the Analysis phase, behaviors are observed and decoded to determine the subject's truthful and deceptive behaviors, and oral and/or written statements are taken and assessed. It also explains how, in the subject-specific Interrogation phase, information gained during analysis is most effectively used to obtain truthful statements from the subject. The art of interview and interrogation is a skill that must be learned, practiced, and honed. With Principles of Kinesic Interview and Interrogation, learning basic and advanced kinesic techniques is made simpler than ever before.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 254 pages
• Publisher: CRC-Press; 1 edition (December 24, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849381533
• ISBN-13: 978-0849381539
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,158,368 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kinesics is the Key, January 19, 2000

By	Jim Miles (Columbia, SC) - See all my reviews

I have been a police officer for ten years, the last five as an Investigator. I came across this Stan Walters masterpiece in 1996 durring a search for Forensic Psychiatry books. The ability to recognize deception is extremely important in my field, and there are many manuals of instructions on the subject. Mr. Walter's, however, gives the reader/researcher the keys to EXTRACTING the verbal (speech) and non-verbal (Body) reactions the body has when stressed. It also covers what happens to the body and speech when a person is ready to confess. Everything is covered from how to approach a suspect initially to the personality types you may run across. Since my introduction to Mr. Walter's book (and subsequent Law Enforcement classes offered on this subject), my confession rate has sky rocketed! I obtain solid witness statements and when conducting Internal Investigations, officers come right out and "fess up" rather than be Interrogated. All my awards over the last three years including the 1998 Officer of the Year for my agency, I owe to this book. The only warning I can give is if you are a close minded cop who makes pre-judgements about people, you will waste your time with this book. Otherwise, for the benefit of your community, study hard!

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for any Criminal Investigator, May 10, 2000

By	James Starkes (united states) - See all my reviews

Principals of Kinesic Interview and Interrogation is a well written and well researched look into the physical and physcological traits of a deceptive person. As a criminal investigator with a large Department I have found it to be an invaluable resource. Stan Walters insights and experiences are related in understandable easy to read terms. An excellent book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Might be a useful reference for professionals, September 6, 2007

By	Marjorie M. Chase (Keauhou, Hawaii) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Principles of Kinesic Interview and Interrogation, Second Edition (Hardcover)

This book contains basic methods for interviews/interrogations, mostly in relation to criminal investigations by authorities. It is not by any means an intensive academic/scientific/military study, although there are such references to past studies and references, namely one by Rand Corp. in relation to the importance of interviewing victims and witnesses.

The book is seriously lacking in deeper interrogation/intel gathering methods and/or advanced strategies during interviews, although Chapter 4 has some interesting takes on "Verbal Content", along with Chapter 5's "Information Recovery and Statement-Credibility Assessment".

One seriously negative aspect is the author's failure in defining VAST cultural kinesic differences, behavioral and linguistic/verbal differences amongst varying cultures, and especially failing to address backgrounds of pathological liars and career criminal manipulators of human interaction. There wasn't even an index listing for either "pathological liars" or "cultural uniqueness/definitions of kinesic behaviors".

I tend to believe that ANY novice who has no prior investigative training and/or skills and uses this book alone, would very easily misread many natural innocent human behaviors, as well as that same novice who might easily be taken in by "professional" career criminals.

Upside: The ABSOLUTE BEST STATEMENT IN THIS BOOK, as quoted from chapter one, "The first and most important of all Basic Practical Kinesic Prinicples is: No single kinesic behavior, verbal or nonverbal, proves a person is truthful or deceptive."

Chapter 6 provides at least 92 photographs of kinesics examples in relation to nonverbal behaviors with descriptions and discussions of the examples.

Downside: Most basic negative connotations would be the interrogator's inability to REALLY discern guilt from kinesics alone, but in the ability to collect behaviors, statements, interviews, evidence, etc, that might help LEAD an investigator "closer to the truth". The other downside is the dry writing style, along with what could have been better organized materials and cultural differences, especially noting the MANY unique behaviors amongst our myriad of foreign residents in this country that could EASILY be misinterpreted by an interrogator with no prior outside cultural experiences!