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OBSERVABLE STRESS RESPONSES DURING INTERVIEWS (Part 3 of 3)

AUDITORY.  The person being interviewed is

  • Physically unable to answer questions
  • Reluctant to answer questions/ evasive
  • Answering interviewer’s questions with his/ her own questions
  • Repeating your question or asks you to repeat the question
  • Continually asks you to clarify the question
  • Answering in a shaky voice
  • Stuttering
  • Experiencing voice cracking/ oral clicking sound/ dry mouth
  • Hesitating to speak
  • Not answering the question. Responding with unrelated information
  • Attempting to answer questions with rehearsed answers
  • Attempting to change the subject
  • Speaking much faster
  • Frequently interrupting
  • Pretending to be bored
  • Deep sighs
  • Repeatedly clears throat
  • Yawning (important key)
  • Grinds teeth
  • Repeating his/ her response two or more times, back-to-back

PSYCHOLOGICAL.  The person being interviewed is using the following words or phrases to attempt to influence the interviewer:

  •  Honestly” – or other words that end in “ly”
  • “I know for a fact”
  • “Truthfully”
  • “Trust me” or “believe me”
  • “To be perfectly frank”/ “to be perfectly honest”
  • “I swear”
  • “I swear” or “I swear to God”
  • “May God strike me dead”
  • “I wouldn’t lie to you”
  • “Just between me and you”