Educing Information: Interrogation - National Intelligence University

in obtaining information. The practical reality is that this individual cannot carry
around a polygraph machine, an electroencephalogram, or any other elaborate,
bulky equipment. High technology-assisted methods may be appropriate at ports
of entry, where it is possible to control movement and contact with subjects
within a fixed facility, but such technology would be of limited use for most
collection tasks. Moreover, electroencephalograms and magnetic resonance
imaging are often relatively easy to defeat. 2,33,83-85 The Intelligence Community
needs to provide operatives the necessary tools and training to work effectively
with contacts on the ground. It is in this environment that behavioral techniques
may have the most potential value.
Cost
High-technology programs naturally cost more to research and field than
behavioral methods.
Return on Investment
The Intelligence Community should consider the research and development
costs, the time it takes to push the results of the investment into the field, and
the potential impact on mission accomplishment. In this light, development of
behavioral methods may have an advantage, given that the near-term cost is low,
the payoffs can be high, and the techniques can be rapidly moved into the field.
Recommendations
The Intelligence Community should follow certain guidelines when
considering how to proceed:
1. Study actual behavior that may indicate deception, rather than cultural
myths about such indicators. The two are not the same.
2. Avoid simple replication of the research already conducted. At this point,
we may know as much as we can and need to know about college students
in the United States and Europe. New research should overcome at least
some of the limitations of previous studies outlined earlier.
3. Insist on targeted populations of interest. The absence of research using
subjects who represent the cultural groups of interest to the Intelligence
Community is the most significant problem with research to date.
4. Focus on techniques that can be readily taught to the current generation
of field operatives. Even more important, focus on developing techniques
that are practical in terms of the real-world parameters where they will
be applied.
5. Emphasize field testing to allow rapid assessment, revision, and
adaptation of methods.
6. Integrate field operations personnel in prioritizing, developing, and
refining new tools. This will ensure a reality check before time, money,
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