Course Details

Course TitleInterviewing to Minimize Deceit in Public Safety Employment Applicants
Date 8/2/2018
ProviderCity of Los Angeles, Personnel Dept., Medical Services Division, Psychology Section
Phone213-473-6958
Emaildiane.levitan@lacity.org
Website
LocationLos Angeles
Credit Hours6
Instructor(s)Diane Levitan, Ph.D.
Method of InstructionWorkshop/Seminar
Approving AgencyCPA
Course Syllabus

Course Description

This 6-hour course focuses upon the role of impression management and deception in the psychological interview for public safety job applicants. We will begin with a discussion of general information about lying (definition, conversational maxims, role in lying discourse), and the types of impression management found among job applicants. We will then discuss basics of lie detection (emotional leakage, cognitive load), and verbal and non-verbal signs that might signal deception. The remainder of the course will cover interview methods proven to increase interviewers’ ability to detect deception and obtain credible information from interviewees (e.g., Reality Interviewing, ACID technique, SCAN technique, Scharff technique).

Course Objectives

At the completion of training, attendees will be able to:
1. Identify two ramifications of Grice's conversational maxim of quality.
2.  Identify four types of impression management.
3. Identify the three main aspects of lying that make lie detection possible. 
4.  Describe three ways in which recall of real memories are different from narratives that access a lie script.
5.  Describe three interview methods that manipulate cognitive load and/or increase emotional leakage.