Practice Exercise
Lesson 1

Instructions The following items will test your understanding of the material covered in this lesson. There is only one correct answer for each item. When you have completed the exercise, check your answers with the answer key that follows. If you answer any item incorrectly, review that part of the lesson which contains the portion involved.

GENERAL SITUATION. You are the MPI supervisor, Fort Crum, Alabama.

SPECIAL SITUATION. You are explaining to the MPI the rights of a person being interviewed and the procedures to follow in conducting a successful interview or interrogation.
1. Which of the following statements defines interrogation? An interrogation is the questioning of:

A. a suspect to obtain a confession or admission to a crime under investigation.
B. witnesses and victims that refuse to tell what they know, or are lying.
C. persons who are suspected of committing a criminal offense.
D. all the above.
2. A barracks thief was caught in the act by two MPs. He fled the scene on foot, outrunning the two MPs. The suspect was later apprehended by a third MP. During the course of the interrogation you praise the subject's ability to run, and state that he was probably a good track star in school. By praising the subject this way you are:

A. pointing out to the subject evidence of his guilt.
B. employing a questioning technique that appeals to the subject's pride.
C. giving yourself more time to size up the subject and decide on an approach.
D. employing an indirect method of interrogation.
3. When should you interrogate a complainant?

A. When the complainant has a previous criminal record.
B. When you notice he appears nervous.
C. When you believe him to be a false accuser.
D. Never, as he should be interviewed.
4. Suspects are classified into categories to:

A. aid the investigator in selecting an interrogation approach.
B. assist the investigator in deciding which type of person he will interrogate, e.g., false accuser, lying suspect, or reluctant witness.
C. assist the investigator in determining the guilt or innocence of the suspect.
D. aid the investigator in determining which suspects should be interviewed or interrogated.
5. When questioning a first offender, the approach used should stress all of the following EXCEPT:

A. repeatedly urging him to tell the truth.
B. continually pointing out the evidence against him.
C. treating the suspect as a normal human being who has committed an act against his nature.
D. the moral implication of the crime.
6.

You should base you interrogation methods on the:

I. subject's background.

II. evidence available.

III. classification of the subject.

IV. crime committed.

V. subject's willingness or reluctance to talk.

A. I, II, IV, and V.
B. I, II, III, and V.
C. I, III, IV, and V.
D. I, II, III, and IV.
7. During an interrogation, the suspect admits to certain elements of the crime but not to the crime itself. These admissions should be:

A. verified by investigators and added to the already collected evidence of the case.
B. used to verify facts already obtained by investigation.
C. used as a wedge in order to obtain further admissions or a confession.
D. ignored, and the interrogator should continue with the original interrogation approach.
8. All previous interrogation attempts of a suspect have failed to yield satisfactory results. You decide to relate the facts of a fictitious crime to the suspect very similar in nature to the actual crime. Later you ask the suspect to write the details of the factitious crime. Your aim is to have the suspect:

A. change facts or details in his story about the actual crime.
B. include details in his story that were not mentioned by you.
C. leave out facts in his story that were related to the actual crime.
D. refuse to write the story, thereby establishing his guilt.
9. You are preparing to question a suspect through your interpreter. Before starting, you instruct your interpreter to:

A. put into his own words any question or answer he does not understand.
B. translate the subject's answers as he construes the meaning.
C. sit to the side and slightly forward so that he can speak with both you and the subject.
D. ask questions of the subject whenever a point needs clarification.
10. Two suspects have been apprehended by MPs. One is placed in a waiting room next to a stenographer while the other is taken into the interrogation room. Approximately 1 hour later the stenographer is called into the room and told to bring a pad and pencil. When she returns, she starts to type what's written on the pad. She pauses and asks the subject in the waiting room how he spells his last name. A few minutes later, the suspect from the waiting room is taken to the interrogation room vacated by the first subject where the investigator asks, "Well, what do you want to say?" What technique was being used by the interrogator?

A. Playing one suspect against the other.
B. Uselessness of denying guilt.
C. Confidence in his guilt.
D. Psychological approach.
11. An interview is correctly defined as:

A. an attempt to obtain information from someone who has it.
B. the questioning technique used when a person is believed to be withholding information.
C. the initial questioning of a victim, witness, or complainant.
D. the questioning of a person who is ready, willing, and able to give you information pertaining to the offense under investigation.
12. You are interviewing the complainant of a larceny of a government typewriter when you become suspicious of his actions and information. You believe the complainant is actually a cosubject to the larceny. You should:

A. stop all questions and advise the complainant of his rights.
B. change from interviewing the complainant to interrogating him.
C. phrase your questions so that the complainant will incriminate himself.
D. switch to a more direct type interview approach to determine the complainant's involvement in the crime.
13. You inform your MPIs that the best way to conduct an interview is to:

A. question the person step-by-step until you learn what he knows about the incident.
B. outline the case to the person and ask him which points are correct.
C. have the person tell his story in his own way.
D. flatter the person and build up the value of the information he has.
14. One of your investigators asks you about the taking of notes during an interview. You inform him that the best way is to:

A. take notes only on inconsistencies during the interview.
B. wait until the interviewee has finished his story before making any notes.
C. discreetly take notes during the entire course of the interview.
D. be obvious so that the interviewee knows his statement is being recorded.
15. You have prepared a list of questions to ask a witness. In going over the questions before the interview, you decide to change one question. Which one would you change?

A. What are the actions of the other witnesses to the crime?
B. Would you indicate the suspect's actions?
C. Did you see the suspect leave the scene?
D. Would you describe the condition of the suspect's clothes?
16. When a female suspect is to be interrogated by a male investigator, it is best to have:

A. the presence of a witness to the interrogation.
B. the presence of a female witness to the interrogation.
C. a female enlisted or female commissioned officer present during the interrogation.
D. none of the above.
17. During the course of a larceny investigation, which of the following persons should be interviewed first?

A. MAJ Delta, witness.
B. 1SG, Charlie, complainant.
C. SPC Bravo, subject.
D. LT Alfa, victim.
18.

A newly assigned MPI explains to you that he is having difficulty interviewing and getting the desired information. You inform him that before he can become successful, he must:

I. understand the basic principles governing the interview.

II. watch other successful interviewers and their techniques.

III. evaluate his performance for each interview conducted.

IV. complete more formal training in interview techniques.

A. I, II, and III.
B. I, II, and IV.
C. I, III, and IV.
D. II, III, and IV.
19. Because other agencies and persons were interested in the subject's possible confession, you interrogated him in front of seven or eight people. It is possible that the court will hold that the confession was obtained:

A. in a proper manner.
B. through coercion.
C. under duress.
D. through unlawful influence.
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