Educing Information: Interrogation - National Intelligence University

in non-Western cultures, so there is not yet a clear scientific basis to
anticipate that results and insights will apply equally or evenly across
cultures. Moreover, many encounters involving information eduction
in intelligence-gathering contexts occur through translators. While
there is good reason to suspect that the effects and/or implementation
of interpersonal strategies may be different when using a translator as a
conduit for communication, the exact nature and extent of that impact on
educing information has not been scientifically determined.
• A moderately strong body of social science research provides
a potential road map to a new generation of strategies and approaches
for overcoming resistance without the use of high-pressure, coercive
techniques.
• Social science research on persuasion and interpersonal
influence could provide a foundation for creating an elegant, elaborate,
and powerful U.S. approach for educing information in intelligencegathering
contexts.
Summary Highlights
What models exist for educing information from uncooperative sources
Constructing a conceptual model of “U.S.” information eduction could
provide a platform to label and identify actors, elements, actions, dynamics, and
effects to describe and conceptualize the process. The field of persuasive message
production offers some relevant research methods, while negotiation theory
offers principles and provides a language and interest-based perspective that are
not overtly adversarial.
What strategies might increase or decrease a source’s willingness to provide
information
Considerable social science literature on persuasion and influence may be
relevant to the development of processes for educing information. The six most
consistent factors affecting interpersonal influence are reciprocity, scarcity, liking,
authority, commitment/consistency, and social validation. Fear can sometimes
be a motivator when apprehension is high and the recommended behavior is
believed to be highly effective. People who believe they are being coerced are
likely to feel disrespected and become less likely to comply or cooperate. Neither
neurolinguistic programming nor subliminal suggestion appears to be an effective
or promising agent of influence.
What is resistance and what strategies exist for getting past it
Resistance is a common reaction to influence or compliance attempts. The
social science literature identifies numerous strategies to help overcome it. They
include sidestepping it, addressing it directly, addressing it indirectly, distracting
it, disrupting it, consuming it, or using it.
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