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FBI agent discusses interrogation tactics, body language, the lie detector, and more

  1. FBI agent discusses interrogation tactics, body language, the lie detector, and more Zachary Elwood 1:24:34

A talk with Eric Robinson, a recently retired Federal Bureau of Investigation agent and former pastor, about what actually works in real-world interrogations—and what doesn’t. Drawing on 24 years in the FBI, Eric explains why techniques like friendliness and rapport are so powerful, discusses the use of silence to induce information-sharing, and talks about the importance of asking only a single question at a time. Eric also explains why he thinks nonverbal “body language” cues are not useful in law enforcement and interrogation settings. Other topics include: the reasons why so many people talk at length to police, despite it being so well known that you should ask for a lawyer; the downsides and risks of deceiving people to try to get information and confessions; some body language ideas discussed in Joe Navarro’s books; Eric’s opinions on the lie detector; and more.

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I'm a former professional poker player who is most well known for my books on poker tells/behavior: my first book Reading Poker Tells has been translated into 8 languages. I'm also known for my psychology podcast People Who Read People, which is known for often focusing on political polarization-related topics.