Ethical Persuasion in Investigative Interviews

We have become highly skilled at identifying inappropriate or high-risk persuasion techniques in investigative interviewing, yet we have rarely offered a clear, ethical, evidence-based alternative. This webinar addresses that gap. Investigative interviewing is often shaped by outdated, confession-driven practices that increase risk, compromise credibility, and increase the likelihood of false confessions. This webinar challenges those approaches and introduces MotiSuasion, an ethical alternative built on rapport, trust, and safety. MotiSuasion allows interviewees to reveal their own agenda (also known as their information-management strategy according to the Strategic Use of Evidence [SUE] research) and then uses strategic persuasion to elicit reliable detail. Anchored by the PACER mnemonic device (Purpose Question, Account, Challenge, Evidence Presentation, Responsibility Question), this method offers investigators a practical framework for ethically motivating and persuading people to choose to speak in detail. The SUE is more than mere theory and may be easily applied to any science-based interview framework through the MotiSuasion approach. Through real-world examples and practical strategies, participants will learn to identify poor interviewing culture, avoid high-risk tactics, and apply MotiSuasion and PACER to strengthen credibility and investigative outcomes. Learning Objectives • Recognize poor interviewing culture and its risks. • Avoid high-risk tactics that undermine credibility and reliability. • Apply MotiSuasion and the PACER Model to ethically motivate, persuade, and structure investigative interviews.