| 1. |
- Granhag, Pär-Anders, 1964, et al.
(författare)
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Eliciting information from small cells of sources
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1833-5330 .- 2159-5364. ; 11:2, s. 143-162
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In past research, the Scharff technique has consistently outperformed different comparison techniques with respect to the elicitation of human intelligence. This study extends previous work by examining the efficacy of the Scharff technique applied to small cells of sources. The sources worked in triads (N=180), and were given information about a planned terrorist attack. They were then interviewed individually with either the Scharff technique (conceptualised as five tactics) or the Direct Approach (open and direct questions). The two techniques resulted in an equal amount of new information. As predicted, the sources in the Scharff condition underestimated, whereas the sources in the Direct Approach condition overestimated, their own contribution of new information. Furthermore, the Scharff tactics resulted in the sources overestimating the amount of information revealed by their fellow group members, whereas this was not the case in the Direct Approach. The paper advances the knowledge on elicitation techniques on several accounts: with respect to the context (focusing on small cells of sources), measures of efficacy (introducing a new dependent measure) and tactics (introducing novel context-dependent tactics). The outcome of the study marks the Scharff technique as a promising technique for eliciting information in intelligence settings.
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| 2. |
- Granhag, Pär-Anders, 1964, et al.
(författare)
-
Eliciting intelligence from human sources: The first scientific test of the Scharff-technique
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Legal and Criminological Psychology. - : Wiley. - 1355-3259. ; 20:1, s. 96-113
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose The gathering of human intelligence (HUMINT) is of utmost importance, yet the scientific literature is silent with respect to the effectiveness of different information elicitation techniques. Our aim was to remedy this by conducting the first scientific test of the so-called Scharff technique (named after the successful German WWII interrogator). Method We developed a new experimental paradigm, mirroring some main features of a typical HUMINT situation. The participants (N = 93) were given information on a planned terrorist attack, and were instructed to strike a balance between not revealing too much or too little information in an upcoming interview. One third was interviewed with the Scharff technique (conceptualized to include four different tactics), one-third was asked open questions only, and the final third was asked specific questions only. The effectiveness of the three techniques was assessed by a novel set of objective and subjective measures. Results Our main findings show that (1) the three techniques did not differ with respect to the objective amount of new information gathered; (2) the participants in the Scharff condition perceived (as predicted) that it was more difficult to read the interviewer's information objectives; and (3) the participants in the Scharff- and the Open-question condition (incorrectly) perceived to have revealed significantly less information than the participants in the Specific question condition. Conclusions We presented a new experimental paradigm, and new dependent measures, for studying the effectiveness of different information elicitation techniques. We consider the outcome for the Scharff technique as rather promising, but future refinements are needed.
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| 3. |
- Granhag, Pär-Anders, 1964, et al.
(författare)
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Eliciting intelligence with the Scharff technique: Interviewing more and less cooperative and capable sources
- 2015
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Ingår i: Psychology, public policy and law. - : American Psychological Association (APA). - 1076-8971 .- 1939-1528. ; 21:1, s. 100-110
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The objective was to compare the efficacy of the Scharff technique (conceptualized as 5 tactics) with the direct approach (open and direct questions) as a means of eliciting intelligence from human sources. The interview techniques were used with 4 different types of sources varying in their levels of both cooperation and capability to provide information as follows: (a) less willing/less able, (b) less willing/more able, (c) more willing/less able, and (d) more willing/more able. The sources (N = 200) were given information about a notional planned terrorist attack and instructed to strike a balance between not revealing too much or too little information in a subsequent interview. Overall, the Scharff technique resulted in significantly more new information than the direct approach, particularly for the less cooperative sources. Furthermore, sources interviewed with the Scharff technique had a more difficult time reading the interviewer’s information objectives and consistently underestimated how much new information they revealed. The study substantiates the Scharff technique as an effective humanintelligence gathering tool.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Granhag, Pär-Anders, 1964, et al.
(författare)
-
The Scharff technique: On how to effectively elicit intelligence from human sources
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0885-0607 .- 1521-0561. ; 29:1, s. 132-150
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ‘‘What did he get out of me? There is no doubt in my mind that he did extract something, but I haven’t the slightest idea what.’’ (Hubert Zemke) The quote setting the stage for this report is from U.S. Army Air Corps Colonel Hubert Zemke, one of the many World War II prisoners interrogated by Hanns Joachim Scharff (1907–1992). Scharff worked at the German Luftwaffe’s Intelligence and Evaluation Center (Auswertestelle West), where he interrogated over 500 American and British fighter pilots. Within today’s Intelligence Community, Scharff is often recognized as a constructive—even iconic—role model for interrogators, one typically portrayed as uncommonly affable, with almost psychic powers to obtain information from his prisoners. While all available accounts support this portrayal of Scharff’s engaging personality and refined interpersonal skills, far less emphasis has been placed on the actual strategies and methodologies that, together, might explain his uncommon effectiveness as an interrogator. Where mention is made of his actual tactics, little discussion has occurred beyond the fact that he was reportedly friendly (especially in contrast to his Luftwaffe peers), exceptionally respectful toward the Allied air crewmen he encountered, and deeply knowledgeable about the U.S. air order of battle as it related to fighter operations based in the United Kingdom. Herein we systematically explore and assess the tactics used by Hanns Scharff. We indicate how Scharff’s s uite of techniques came to inspire a major research program on the elicitation of human intelligence. And, for the very first time, a summary of the outcome of this pioneering research program is here presented.
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| 6. |
- May, Lennart, et al.
(författare)
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Eliciting Intelligence Using the Scharff-Technique: Closing in on the Confirmation/Disconfirmation-Tactic
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling. - : Wiley. - 1544-4759. ; 11:2, s. 136-150
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The current study examined interview techniques aimed at eliciting intelligence from human sources. We compared two versions of the Scharff-technique to the Direct Approach (a combination of open and direct questions). The Scharff conditions, conceptualised into four tactics, differed only with respect to the ‘confirmation/disconfirmation-tactic’. The participants (N=90) received background information and took the role as a source in a phone interview. They were instructed to strike a balance between not revealing too little and too much information. As predicted, the Scharff-technique resulted in more new information than the Direct Approach. Importantly, the sources interviewed by the Scharff-technique perceived that they had revealed less new information than they objectively did, whereas the sources interviewed by the Direct Approach perceived that they had revealed more new information than they objectively did. Furthermore, the interviewer's information objectives were better masked with the confirmation-tactic than with the disconfirmation-tactic. The results highlight the Scharff-technique as a promising human intelligence gathering technique. Copyright (c) 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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| 7. |
- Meissner, Christian, et al.
(författare)
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Developing an evidence-based perspective on interrogation: A review of the U.S. Government’s High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group research program.
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Psychology, public policy and law. - : American Psychological Association (APA). - 1076-8971 .- 1939-1528. ; 23:4, s. 438-457
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Interrogation practices in the United States have been roundly criticized both for their accusatorial ethos, at times leading to false confessions by the innocent, and for a history of applying physical and psychological coercion in law enforcement, military, and intelligence contexts. Despite decades of psychological research demonstrating the failures of such approaches and despite recent positive advances in countries such as the United Kingdom moving to an information-gathering framework, little change has occurred in the training or practice of U.S. interrogation professionals over the past 50 years. This article describes recent historical events that have led to the development of the first unclassified, government-funded research program on the science of interviewing and interrogation. Since 2010, the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG) research program has identified effective approaches for developing cooperation and rapport, eliciting information, challenging inconsistencies by presenting evidence or information strategically, and assessing credibility using cognitive cues and strategic questioning tactics. The program has also examined the influence of culture and language, and has facilitated the translation of research from the laboratory to the field. In this context, we review the significant contributions of psychologists to understanding and developing ethical, legal, and effective interrogation practices, and we describe important future directions for research on investigative interviewing and interrogation.
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| 8. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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A descriptive analysis of the approaches and tactics used in undercover operations
- 2017
-
Ingår i: 7th Annual HIG Research Symposium, Washington DC, 17 Oct 2017.
-
Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The heart of an undercover operation is when an undercover officer (UC) poses as a fellow criminal and interacts with suspects and witnesses. The overarching aim of such operations are to elicit information from the subject; information that might advance an ongoing investigation and/or be used as evidence in court. By analyzing transcripts of these interactions, we identified 22 tactics used by the undercovers. These tactics were sorted into four broad approaches that served to build a relationship with the subject and elicit investigative information. Descriptive analyzes showed that the undercovers were mostly active with posing explicit questions (e.g., closed and open questions) and made many attempts to gather information unobtrusively (e.g., ‘disclosure’, ‘subtle encouragements’). To establish a relationship, the undercovers would commonly display ‘affinity’ and stress the subject’s current situation (‘emotion: affirming self’). Moreover, evidence stimulation tactics were used in almost all interactions, in which subject's were informed that new evidence had emerged on their case. Having analyzed almost 60 hours of Perkins interactions, we found that less than 0.001% of all tactical attempts used could be viewed as verbally manipulative and/or deceptive. In sum, the current study provides a first insight into the interactional elements of a Perkins operation, and suggests that undercovers use a variety of verbal tactics largely fitting within an ethically defendable framework. Methods for analyzing outcomes of the interactions will be discussed.
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| 9. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982
(författare)
-
Eliciting human intelligence: A conceptualization and empirical testing of the Scharff technique
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis is on how to elicit intelligence from human sources with the principal aim being to examine the efficacy of the tactics employed by the renowned WWII interrogator Hanns Scharff. A novel experimental set-up (as well as new dependent measures) was introduced to evaluate the efficacy of different human intelligence gathering techniques. Participants were given information about a planned terrorist attack, asked to take on the role of “sources”, and instructed to be semi-cooperative in a subsequent interview. In Study I (N = 60), interviews were conducted over the phone. The Scharff technique (conceptualized to include five tactics) was compared to the direct approach (a combination of open-ended and specific questions). The Scharff technique resulted in relatively more new information and led sources to underestimate how much new information they revealed. With the Direct Approach, sources overestimated how much new information they revealed. In Study II (N = 119), interacting parties met face-to-face and the sources were allowed to lie. Two versions of the Scharff technique were compared to the direct approach. The Scharff confirmation technique made use of claims that included the correct alternative while the Scharff disconfirmation/confirmation technique made use of a mix of correct and incorrect claims. The Scharff confirmation technique resulted in more new information than the Scharff disconfirmation/confirmation technique and the direct approach. Sources interviewed using the Scharff techniques had a more difficult time reading the interviewer’s information objectives and underestimated their contribution of new information. Sources interviewed using the direct approach overestimated how much new information they revealed. In Study III (N = 200) the interview techniques were used with four different types of sources varying in both their levels of cooperation and capability to provide information as follows: (a) less willing/less able, (b) less willing/more able, (c) more willing, less able, and (d) more willing/more able. The Scharff technique was compared to the direct approach. Overall, the Scharff technique resulted in relatively more new information, particularly when interviewing less cooperative sources. Furthermore, sources interviewed using the Scharff technique had a more difficult time reading the interviewer’s information objectives and consistently underestimated their contribution of new information. This thesis provides a psychological framework for and a conceptualization of the Scharff technique. Furthermore, the thesis introduces an experimental set-up mirroring a human intelligence interaction and offers a new set of dependent measures for mapping the efficacy of intelligence gathering techniques. In sum, this thesis provides support for the Scharff technique as an effective tool for eliciting information from human sources.
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| 10. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982, et al.
(författare)
-
Eliciting information from human sources: Training handlers in the Scharff technique
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Legal and Criminological Psychology. - : Wiley. - 1355-3259 .- 2044-8333. ; 22:2, s. 400-419
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: In previous laboratory-based work, the Scharff technique has proved successful for gathering intelligence from human sources. However, little is known about whether the technique can be taught to practitioners, and whether Scharff-trained practitioners will interview more effectively than colleagues using their conventional approaches and tactics. Method: We examined professional handlers from the Norwegian Police (n = 64), all experienced in interacting with informants. Half received training in the Scharff technique, and their performance was compared against handlers receiving no Scharff training and free to use the approaches they saw fit. All handlers received the same case file describing a source holding information about a future terrorist attack and were given the same interview objectives. Police trainees (n = 64) took on the role of semicooperative sources and were given incomplete information about the attack. Results: The trained handlers adhered to the Scharff training as they (1) aimed to establish the illusion of 'knowing-it-all', (2) posed claims to collect information, and (3) asked few (if any) explicit questions. In contrast, the untrained handlers tried to evoke the sources' motivation to reveal information and asked a high number of explicit questions. Scharff-trained handlers were perceived as less eager to gather information, but collected comparatively more new information. Conclusions: The Scharff-trained interviewers utilized more specific elicitation tactics (e.g., posing claims) and fewer general interview strategies (e.g., evoking motivation), and they collected comparatively more new information. This captures the essence of the Scharff technique: It is subtle, yet effective.
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| 11. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982
(författare)
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Eliciting intelligence from human sources: Evaluating the Scharff-technique
- 2014
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis is on how to elicit intelligence from human sources. More specifically, the aim is to examine the efficacy of the tactics employed by an iconic figure in the field: Hanns Scharff. A novel experimental set-up, as well as new dependent measures, was introduced in order to evaluate the efficacy of different human intelligence gathering techniques. Participants were given information about a planned terrorist attack, asked to take on the role of “sources”, and instructed to strike a balance between not revealing too much or too little information in a subsequent interview. In Study I (N = 93) three human intelligence gathering techniques were evaluated. The Scharff-technique was conceptualized to include four tactics (i.e., to have a friendly approach, never pressure for information, create an illusion of knowing it all, and presenting confirmation/disconfirmation claims), the Open Question technique consisted of open-ended questions and the Specific Question technique consisted of specific questions. The results showed that the three techniques did not differ with respect to the amount of new information gathered. The participants interviewed with the Scharff-technique (vs. the two control techniques) perceived that it was more difficult to read the interviewer’s information objectives. The participants interviewed with the Scharff-technique and the Open Question technique (incorrectly) perceived that they revealed less information than participants interviewed with the Specific Question technique. In sum, the Scharff-technique showed some promising results but did not elicit more new information. This outcome was attributed to a disorganized implementation of the tactics. In Study II (N = 60) the Scharff-technique was compared to the Direct Approach (a combination of open-ended and specific questions). For this study a number of methodological improvements were made compared to Study I. The tactics used in the Scharff-technique were implemented in a more careful manner and most of the dependent measures were advanced. The results showed that the Scharff-technique resulted in more, and more precise, new information. Furthermore, the participants interviewed with the Scharff-technique underestimated, whereas participants interviewed with the Direct Approach overestimated, the amount of new information revealed. This study showed quite strong support for the efficacy of the Scharff-technique. In sum, this thesis introduced an experimental set-up mirroring some key aspects of a human intelligence gathering scenario and developed a set of novel dependent measures for examining the efficacy of the compared techniques. This thesis provides empirical support for the Scharff-technique as a promising tool for eliciting intelligence from human sources.
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| 12. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982
(författare)
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Eliciting intelligence from human sources: The first scientific test of the Scharff-technique
- 2011
-
Ingår i: The 8th meeting of the Nordic Network for research on Psychology and Law (NNPL) Oslo, Norway, 16-17 September, 2011.
-
Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Purpose. The gathering of human intelligence (HUMINT) is of utmost importance, yet the scientific literature is silent with respect to the effectiveness of different information elicitation techniques. Our aim was to remedy this by conducting the first scientific test of the so-called Scharff technique (named after the successful German WWII interrogator). Method. Wedeveloped a new experimental paradigm, mirroring some main features of a typical HUMINT situation. The participants (N = 93) were given information on a planned terrorist attack, and were instructed to strike a balance between not revealing too much or too little information in an upcoming interview. One third was interviewed with the Scharff technique (conceptualized to include four different tactics), one-third was asked open questions only, and the final third was asked specific questions only. The effectiveness of the three techniques was assessed by a novel set of objective and subjective measures. Results. Our main findings show that (1) the three techniques did not differ with respect to the objective amount of new information gathered; (2) the participants in the Scharff condition perceived (as predicted) that it was more difficult to read the interviewer’s information objectives; and (3) the participants in the Scharff- and the Open-question condition (incorrectly) perceived to have revealed significantly less information than the participants in the Specific question condition. Conclusions. We presented a new experimental paradigm, and new dependent measures, for studying the effectiveness of different information elicitation techniques. We consider the outcome for the Scharff technique as rather promising, but future refinements are needed.
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982, et al.
(författare)
-
Gathering human intelligence via repeated interviewing: further empirical tests of the Scharff technique
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Psychology, Crime and Law. - 1068-316X .- 1477-2744. ; 23:7, s. 666-681
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Research on investigative interviewing has only recently started to compare the efficacy of different techniques for gathering intelligence from human sources. So far the research has focused exclusively on sources interviewed once, thus overlooking that most sources are interviewed multiple times. The present study attempts to remedy this gap in the literature. Students (N = 66) took on the role of semi-cooperative sources, holding incomplete information about an upcoming terrorist attack. The sources were informed that they would be interviewed at least once, and that additional interviews might follow. Half of the sources were interviewed on three occasions with the Scharff technique (consisting of five tactics), and the other half was interviewed on three occasions using the so-called direct approach (i.e. openended and specific questions). Collapsing the outcome over the three interviews, the Scharff technique resulted in significantly more new information compared to the direct approach. Furthermore, sources interviewed by the direct approach overestimated how much new information they had revealed, whereas the sources interviewed by the Scharff technique underestimated their contribution (although not significantly so). The current study advances previous research by further contextualizing the tests of the efficacy of human intelligence gathering techniques.
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982
(författare)
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On eliciting intelligence from human sources: Contextualizing the Scharff-technique
- 2013
-
Ingår i: 3rd Annual HIG Research Symposium Washington, USA, 16-17 October 2013.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This study sought to objectively evaluate the efficacy of the interrogation strategies employed by an iconic figure in the field, Hanns Scharff. The corollary objective was to identify science-based strategies for effectively eliciting intelligence from human sources under ecologically valid conditions. In Experiment 1 (N = 119) we made the interviewer-source interaction more realistic (compared to previous research), and in Experiment 2 (N = 200) we mapped the comparative efficacy over different types of sources. In both experiments the participants were given information about a planned terrorist attack, asked to take on the role of ‘sources’, and instructed to strike a balance between not revealing too much or too little information in a subsequent interview. They were then interviewed with either the Scharff-technique (conceptualized as four different tactics) or the Direct Approach (open and direct questions). The overall result showed that the Scharff-technique resulted in significantly more new, and more precise, information than the Direct Approach. Furthermore, the sources interviewed with the Scharff-technique had a comparatively more difficult time reading the interviewer’s information objectives. Finally, the sources interviewed with the Scharff-technique significantly underestimated, whereas the sources in the Direct Approach generally overestimated, how much new information they revealed. The study marks the Scharff-technique as a promising human intelligence gathering technique.
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| 17. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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On eliciting intelligence from human sources: Contextualizing the Scharff-technique
- 2014
-
Ingår i: The 7th annual iIIRG conference, Lausanne, Switzerland, 4-6 June 2014.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This study sought to evaluate the efficacy of the strategies employed by the iconic WWII interrogator Hanns Scharff. The objective was to identify science-based strategies for effectively eliciting intelligence from human sources. In Experiment 1 (N = 119) we made the interviewer-source interaction more realistic (compared to previous research), and in Experiment 2 (N = 200) we mapped the comparative efficacy over different types of sources. In both experiments the participants were given information about a planned terrorist attack, asked to take on the role of ‘sources’, and instructed to strike a balance between not revealing too much or too little information in a subsequent interview. They were then interviewed with either the Scharff-technique (conceptualized as four different tactics) or the Direct Approach (open and direct questions). The overall result showed that the Scharff-technique resulted in significantly more new, and more precise, information than the Direct Approach. The sources interviewed with the Scharff-technique had a comparatively more difficult time reading the interviewer’s information objectives. Finally, the sources interviewed with the Scharff-technique significantly underestimated, whereas the sources in the Direct Approach generally overestimated, how much new information they revealed. The study marks the Scharff-technique as a promising human intelligence gathering technique.
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| 18. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982, et al.
(författare)
-
On eliciting intelligence from human sources: Contextualizing the Scharff-Technique
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Applied Cognitive Psychology. - : Wiley. - 0888-4080 .- 1099-0720. ; 28:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Three techniques for eliciting intelligence from human sources were examined. Two versions of the Scharff-technique (conceptualized as four tactics) were compared against the Direct Approach (open and direct questions). The Scharff confirmation technique used correct claims to elicit information, and the Scharff disconfirmation/confirmation technique used a mix of correct and incorrect claims. The participants (N= 119) took the role of ‘sources’ holding information about a terrorist attack and tried not to reveal too much or too little information during an interview. The Scharff confirmation resulted in more new information than the Scharff disconfirmation/confirmation and the Direct Approach. The sources in the Scharff conditions had a more difficult time reading the interviewer’s information objectives. The sources in the Scharff conditions underestimated, whereas sources in the Direct Approach overestimated, how much new information they revealed. The study advances previous work and shows that the Scharff-technique is a promising intelligence gathering technique.
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| 19. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982, et al.
(författare)
-
Perkins Operations: Tactics Used in Undercover Interactions
- 2023
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Ingår i: International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the United States, it is permissible to place an undercover police officer in the jail cell with a suspect. This tactical move is rare and launched only for serious crimes, and it takes place before any charges have been filed. This tactic goes under the name of Perkins operations, from the case ruling that if an individual speaks freely to someone whom they believe is a fellow inmate it is allowed to take advantage of their misplaced trust (Illinois v. Perkins, 1990). In this study, we examine 22 Perkins operations, 60hours of secretly taped interactions in the cells, and we describe and categorize the different approaches and tactics that the undercover officers used. Based on the descriptive analysis, we conceptualize two pathways to information elicitation (direct and relational) and explore the undercover officers’ use of risky interview tactics. The findings suggest that undercover officers use four broader approaches to establish relationships and gather information, and we were able to identify only a few instances of risky tactics in this sample. The relevance of the findings for human intelligence gathering and counterintelligence are discussed.
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982
(författare)
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The Scharff-technique: Eliciting intelligence from human sources
- 2013
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Ingår i: The 9th meeting of the Nordic Network for research on Psychology and Law (NNPL) Aarhus, Denmark, October 25-26, 2013..
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This study is on how to elicit intelligence from human sources. We compared the efficacy of two human intelligence gathering techniques; the Scharff-technique (conceptualized as four different tactics) and the Direct Approach (a combination of open and direct questions). Participants (N = 60) were asked to take on the role of ‘sources’ and were given information about a planned terrorist attack. They were to reveal part of this information in an upcoming interview. Critically, the participants were instructed to strike a balance between not revealing too much or too little information. As predicted, the participants revealed significantly more, and more precise, new information when interviewed with the Scharff-technique (vs. the Direct Approach). Furthermore, and as predicted, the participants in the Scharff-condition underestimated how much new information they revealed, whereas the participants in the Direct Approach overestimated how much new information they revealed. The study provides rather strong support for the Scharff-technique as an effective human intelligence gathering technique.
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| 22. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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The scharff-technique: Eliciting intelligence from human sources
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Law and human behavior. - : American Psychological Association (APA). - 0147-7307 .- 1573-661X. ; 38:5, s. 478-489
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study is on how to elicit intelligence from human sources. We compared the efficacy of two human intelligence gathering techniques: the Scharff-technique (conceptualized as four different tactics) and the Direct Approach (a combination of open and direct questions). Participants (N = 60) were asked to take on the role of “sources” and were given information about a planned terrorist attack. They were to reveal part of this information in an upcoming interview. Critically, the participants were instructed to strike a balance between not revealing too much or too little information. As predicted, the participants revealed significantly more, and more precise, new information when interviewed with the Scharff-technique (vs. the Direct Approach). Furthermore, and as predicted, the participants in the Scharff condition underestimated how much new information they revealed whereas the participants in the Direct Approach overestimated how much new information they revealed. The study provides rather strong support for the Scharff-technique as an effective human intelligence gathering technique.
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| 23. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982
(författare)
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The Scharff technique: Eliciting intelligence from small cells of sources
- 2015
-
Ingår i: EAPL.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In past research, the Scharff technique has consistently outperformed different comparison techniques with respect to the elicitation of human intelligence. This study extends previous work by examining the efficacy of the Scharff technique applied to small cells of sources. The sources worked in triads (N = 180), and were given information about a planned terrorist attack. They were then interviewed individually with either the Scharff technique (conceptualized as five tactics) or the Direct Approach (open and direct questions). The two techniques resulted in an equal amount of new information. As predicted, the sources in the Scharff condition underestimated, whereas the sources in the Direct Approach condition overestimated, their own contribution of new information. Furthermore, the Scharff tactics resulted in the sources overestimating the amount of information revealed by their fellow group members whereas this was not the case in the Direct Approach. The paper advances the knowledge on elicitation techniques on several accounts; with respect to the context (focusing on small cells of sources), measures of efficacy (introducing a new dependent measure) and tactics (introducing novel context dependent tactics). The outcome of the study marks the Scharff technique as a promising technique for eliciting information in intelligence settings.
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| 24. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982
(författare)
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The Scharff technique: Repeated interviews and small cells of sources
- 2014
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Ingår i: 4th Annual HIG Research Symposium, Washington DC USA, 21 Oct 2014.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The Scharff technique has consistently outperformed the Direct Approach for information elicitation purposes. The current study sought to extend previous findings by varying the context of the interviews. In Experiment 1 (N = 66) each participant was interviewed on three occasions (repeated interviews). In Experiment 2 (N = 180) groups of three participants sharing the same knowledge were separated and interviewed individually (cells of sources). Participants were given information about a planned terrorist attack and were instructed to be semi-cooperative in a subsequent interview. For both experiments the participants were interviewed with either the Scharff technique or the Direct Approach. For both experiments the Scharff technique resulted in more new information, but only significantly so for repeated interviews (Exp 1). Importantly, for both experiments the sources in the Scharff condition generally underestimated, whereas the sources in the Direct Approach overestimated, how much new information they revealed. Both experiments marks the Scharff technique as a promising human intelligence gathering technique.
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| 25. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982
(författare)
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The Scharff technique: Training military intelligence officers to elicit information from small cells of sources
- 2017
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Ingår i: 7th Annual HIG Research Symposium, Washington DC, 17 Oct 2016.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of the so-called Scharff technique for gathering information from human sources, but little is known about how this efficacy might vary among different samples of practitioners. In this training study we examined a sample of Norwegian military officers (n = 37). Half was trained in the Scharff technique, and their performance was compared against officers receiving no Scharff training and free to use the approaches they saw fit. All officers received the same case file describing two sources holding information about a future terrorist attack and were given the same interview objectives. University students (n = 74) took on the role of semi-cooperative sources and were given incomplete information about the attack. Scharff-trained officers adhered to the training (by establishing the ‘knowing-it-all’ illusion and posed claims to elicit information). The officers who were not trained in the Scharff method, in contrast, asked many explicit questions, pressured the source, and displayed disappointment with the source’s contribution. Scharff-trained officers were perceived as less eager to gather information and left their sources with the impression that they had provided comparatively less new information, but collected a similar amount of new information as their untrained colleagues. The present study both replicates and advances previous work in the field, and marks the Scharff technique as a promising technique for gathering human intelligence.
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| 26. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982
(författare)
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Training handlers in the Scharff technique
- 2016
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Ingår i: The International Academy of Investigative Psychology (IAIP) Conference. ; 17
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In previous research the Scharff technique has consistently outperformed the Direct Approach for gathering intelligence from human sources (Granhag, Kleinman, & Oleszkiewicz, 2016). However, little is known about the extent to which the same technique can be taught to practitioners in the field, and how the performance of Scharff trained interviewers compare against interviewers using their conventional approaches and tactics. For the current study we examined professional handlers from the Norwegian Police (N = 64), all experienced in interacting with informants. Half received training in the Scharff technique and their performance was then compared against handlers receiving no Scharff training (and free to use the approaches and tactics they saw fit). All handlers received the same case-file describing a source holding some information about a future terrorist attack, and all were given the same interview objectives. Police trainees took on the role of semi-cooperative sources and were given incomplete information about the attack. The results showed that the trained handlers adhered to the Scharff training as they (a) aimed to establish the illusion of ‘knowing-it-all’, (b) posed claims to collect information and (c) asked very few (if any) explicit questions. Importantly, the untrained interviewers did not use these tactics, instead they prioritized to try to evoke the sources’ motivation to reveal information. As predicted, Scharff trained interviewers collected comparatively more new information, and were perceived to be less eager to gather information. These findings capture the essence of the Scharff technique; it is subtle and effective.
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| 27. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982
(författare)
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Training military intelligence officers
- 2016
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Ingår i: 6th Annual HIG Research Symposium, Washington DC, USA, 17 Oct 2016.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Prior research demonstrates the success of the Scharff technique as a means of gathering intelligence by police handlers from singular human sources. This research tested the Scharff technique when used by military personnel gathering intelligence from multiple sources. Military personnel (n = 37) were recruited as interviewers and assigned to a Scharff Trained or Untrained (free to use any interviewing approach) role. All interviewers received a case-file describing two sources holding information about a future terrorist attack who they interviewed separately. University students (n = 74) acted as semi-cooperative sources. The preliminary results demonstrate that Trained Interviewers interviewed for a shorter time than their colleagues. Furthermore, Trained Interviewers were perceived to be (a) more knowledgeable about the case discussed, (b) better at masking their information interests, and (c) less eager to collect information. The study further supports the relative efficacy of the Scharff technique for interviewing single and multiple sources.
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| 28. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Trust building strategies
- 2016
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Ingår i: 6th Annual HIG Research Symposium, Washington DC, 18 Oct 2016.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- While research has demonstrated the importance of rapport in the effective and ethical elicitation of information in the HUMINT context, further research is needed to (a) distinguish it from related concepts and (b) to develop more precise measurement and manipulation of the construct. The current study drew on the trust literature in an attempt to clarify the structure of rapport. This research has focused on cognitive and affective processes leading to interpersonal trust (a willingness to take risk) and the characteristics that predict trustworthiness (i.e., ability, benevolence and integrity). In addition, we introduce a conceptual model that defines trust-building strategies as requiring predictability and genuineness, risk, reciprocity, and independence. These four principles informed the development of two fundamental trust-building strategies hypothesized to facilitate cooperation: strategies for demonstrating trustworthiness and strategies for demonstrating a willingness to trust. Preliminary results suggest that the cognitive (rather than the affective) component of trust may be key to eliciting cooperation in an interrogative context.
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| 29. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982
(författare)
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Trust building strategies: Critical factors for establishing cooperation in an interrogative context
- 2017
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Ingår i: 7th Annual HIG Research Symposium, Washington DC USA, 17 Oct.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- While research has demonstrated the importance of rapport in the interrogative context, further research is needed to better understand the construct. This study drew on prior research showing that trust building is empirically distinguishable from rapport, that early trust perceptions are related to cognitive rather than affective processes, and that cognitive trust perceptions can be influenced through two trust-building tactics: demonstrating trustworthiness and demonstrating a willingness to trust, leading to cooperation and information yield in the interrogative context. In the current study, we introduce a conceptual model suggesting that trust is catalyzed through reciprocity. This trust-building model was evaluated through a series of experiments that controlled if the interviewer (i) recognized the subject’s needs (i.e., empathy), (ii) emphasized the consequences of following through on his offer (i.e., risk), and (iii) requested information in return (i.e., non-independence) when demonstrating trustworthiness and a willingness to trust. The preliminary findings support the use of trust-building tactics to develop cognitive trust, and the efficacy of the key elements of the model will be discussed.
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| 30. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982
(författare)
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Trust-building strategies: Establishing cooperation in the interrogative context.
- 2017
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Ingår i: Intelligence interviewing: The science of what works.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- While research has demonstrated the importance of rapport in the interrogative context, further research is needed to better understand the construct. This study drew on prior research showing that trust building is empirically distinguishable from rapport, that early trust perceptions are related to cognitive rather than affective processes, and that cognitive trust perceptions can be influenced through two trust-building tactics: demonstrating trustworthiness and demonstrating a willingness to trust, leading to cooperation and information yield in the interrogative context. In the current study, we introduce a conceptual model suggesting that trust is catalyzed through reciprocity. This trust-building model was evaluated through a series of experiments that controlled if the interviewer (i) recognized the subject’s needs (i.e., empathy), (ii) emphasized the consequences of following through on his offer (i.e., risk), and (iii) requested information in return (i.e., non-independence) when demonstrating trustworthiness and a willingness to trust. The preliminary findings support the use of trust-building tactics to develop cognitive trust, and the efficacy of the key elements of the model will be discussed.
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| 31. |
- Oleszkiewicz, Simon, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Trust Building Strategies: Facilitating Cooperation in an Interrogative Context.
- 2017
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Ingår i: American Psychology-Law Society (AP-LS) Annual Conference. Seattle, USA: 16-18 March.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- While research has demonstrated the importance of rapport in the HUMINT context, further research is needed to better understand the construct. This study drew on the trust literature in an attempt to clarify the structure of rapport. Trust research has focused on cognitive and affective processes leading to interpersonal trust and characteristics predicting trustworthiness. We introduce a conceptual model defining trust-building strategies as requiring predictability and genuineness, risk, reciprocity, and independence. These principles informed the development of two trust-building strategies: demonstrating trustworthiness and demonstrating a willingness to trust. Preliminary results suggest that cognitive processes predict cooperation in an interrogative context.
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| 32. |
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