Motivation and Ethical Persuasion in Investigative Interviewing

Central Time (CT) Online November 13, 2025 $795.00 + tax

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Persuasion is often misunderstood in investigative interviewing—too often linked with coercion, bias, or manipulation. This course reframes persuasion as an ethical, professional skill that helps interviewees choose to share meaningful information—without pressure or trickery.

Through case examples, discussion, and practical group exercises, you’ll learn how to:

  • Distinguish motivation (helping someone find their own reasons to talk) from persuasion (guiding them toward fuller disclosure).
  • Apply the PACER Framework (Purpose, Account, Challenge, Evidence, Responsibility) to uncover agendas, build trust, and sustain voluntary conversation.
  • Use the Information Rocket metaphor to turn any response—denial, admission, or objection—into momentum for deeper dialogue.
  • Avoid the traps of unethical persuasion that lead to unreliable or false accounts.

Designed for investigators, interviewers, and professionals in justice, HR investigators, compliance, and workplace investigations, this course provides practical tools to enhance both the quality and quantity of information you gather—while upholding ethics, fairness, and respect.

Final Takeaway: Ethical persuasion isn’t about getting people to say what we want. It’s about motivating them to share what they want us to know.

Course Outline

  1. Introduction (30 minutes)
  • Framing Persuasion
    • Why persuasion is often seen as a “dirty word” (association with coercion and unethical practices).
    • Importance of reclaiming persuasion as an ethical, professional interviewing tool.
  • Case Illustrations (brief examples with short video/audio or summaries):
    • American Nightmare (Netflix wrongful conviction case)
    • California case: son accused of father’s murder
    • Michael Dixon (Ontario case)
    • Russell Williams (fabricated evidence)
  • Discussion: Unethical persuasion methods in these cases
    • Accusatory, guilt-presumptive tactics
    • Minimization/maximization themes
    • Alternative questions
    • Fabricated evidence
    • Denial prevention
  • Transition: Ethical persuasion requires rapport, trust, and respect (refresher on Engage & Explain phase).
  1. Module One: Motivation and Persuasion (60 minutes)
  • Definitions
    • Motivation: helping the interviewee find their own reasons to talk.
    • Persuasion: guiding the choice to share information fully.
  • Goal: Obtain information of high quality and quantity.
  • Rapport & Agendas
    • Impasses: fear of jail, fear of losing face, community standing.
    • Why identifying agendas is central.
  • Group Exercise (Zoom breakout, 6 per group):
    • List as many possible interviewee agendas as you can.
    • Return and compare lists with class.
  1. Module Two: PACER Framework (2 hours total, ~20–25 minutes per letter)

P – Purpose Question

  • Definition and role in surfacing agendas.
  • Example demonstration.
  • Group exercise: Formulate and pose purpose questions.
  • Debrief with class.

A – Account

  • Using the “Opening Instruction” to invite narrative recall.
  • Example.
  • Group exercise: Practice phrasing and listening for agendas.
  • Debrief.

C – Challenge

  • Raising discrepancies non-accusatorily.
  • Example dialogue.
  • Group exercise: Practice reconciling inconsistencies.
  • Debrief.

E – Evidence Presentation

  • Drip-feed vs. dump: inviting conversation, not forcing admissions.
  • Example.
  • Group exercise: Practice sequencing and phrasing.
  • Debrief.

R – Responsibility Question

  • Form and function (insight into agenda, gateway to information).
  • Example dialogue
  • Group exercise: Craft and practice responsibility questions.
  • Debrief.
  1. Module Three: Launching the Information Rocket (1.5 hours)
  • Concept: Turning responses into momentum for deeper information.

Stage One – Request the Rocket

  • Responsibility question example.

Stage Two – Receive the Rocket

  • Types of responses (confession, denial, alibi, technical denial, objection, memory issue, minimization, projection).

Stage Three – Place on Launch Pad

  • Accepting the response with gratitude (“Thank you…that’s important to know”).

Stage Four – Launch the conversation rocket

  • Transitioning into detail-eliciting questions.
  • Examples for each type of response.
  • Group Exercise (Zoom breakout):
    • Roleplay interviewer/respondent pairs cycling through different rocket responses.
    • Groups debrief
  • Class Debrief: Extract lessons, highlight best practices.
  1. Conclusion & Integration (30 minutes)
  • Recap:
    • Why unethical persuasion leads to unreliable outcomes.
    • Ethical persuasion as a professional tool.
    • PACER as a roadmap to uncover agendas.
    • The Information Rocket metaphor as a method to sustain conversation.
  • Q&A / Open Discussion
  • Final Thought: Ethical persuasion isn’t about getting people to say what we want — it’s about motivating them to share what they want us to know.

Bruce Pitt-Payne

Bruce Pitt-Payne honed his skills as a major crime investigator, interview specialist and advisor over his 26 year career with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He is a subject- matter-expert on investigative techniques including interviewing adults (witnesses and suspects) and children.
For several years he was the Program Manager of Investigative Interviewing Training for the RCMP in British Columbia where he was instrumental in designing the RCMP Phased Interview Model which is the P.E.A.C.E. Model of Interviewing after an evolutionary adaptation to Canadian legal and ethical standards.
Bruce has taught witness and suspect interviewing skills both nationally and internationally. He prides himself on being able to explain complex matters in a manner that is easily understood. His teaching uses audio-visual material extensively, along with exercises based on realistic scenarios.
Since retirement from the RCMP, Bruce has dedicated his time to consulting and teaching both public and private sector organizations the science/art of investigative interviewing. He has designed the curriculum for and presented investigative interviewing to agencies such as: the Justice Institute of BC, Metro Vancouver Transit Police, the RCMP, the Professional Investigators Association of BC, the Independent Investigations Office of BC, Seattle Police Department, BC SPCA, UBC Security, the Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC and WorkSafe BC.
Bruce has made multiple appearances on national media to discuss interviewing and other issues.
In June 2024, he was awarded the prestigious International Investigative Interviewing Research Group Practitioner Excellence Award.