About EBI
All EBI courses are instructed by subject matter experts who are career law enforcement professionals.
EBI is a research-based, conversational, interview philosophy. It is designed to elicit accurate and actionable information from an interviewee.
The EBI interview is tailored to an individual’s unique personality in order to induce instrumental problem solving. It begins with creating an atmosphere that encourages an interviewee to share what is most important to them and to talk at their own pace. This open narrative is then followed by the use of clarification questions, confirmation/ disconfirmation approach and the strategic introduction of specific known facts. The EBI philosophy focuses on gaining accurate information and corroboration which are instrumental in developing mitigation strategies.
EBI is consistent with the findings contained in the September 2016 High Value Detainee Interrogation Group report titled, Interrogation: A Review of the Science.
EBI In Depth
The EBI Philosophy
The key to gaining information is empathetically understanding the individual’s personality and motivation.
The interviewer’s actions are then uniquely tailored to the interviewee.
The interview is a conversation designed to gain actionable information.
Actionable information is based on obtaining accurate information and corroboration from the individual.
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Successfully gaining accurate information from a person does not involve a “one size fits all” approach. Understanding the individual’s personality through behavioral analysis allows the interviewer to customize the interview atmosphere, strategy, and conversation thereby increasing the likelihood of obtaining actionable information. Research has shown that successful interviewers use empathy and a personality-focused approach to keep the interviewee engaged.
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Gaining information from a person requires creating an instrumental problem-solving environment. One of the key factors in creating this environment is the atmosphere. The atmosphere encompasses the physical setting, emotional context, and sensory aspects.
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Pre-determined interview “steps” and agenda-focused questioning often creates either an antagonistic or avoidant response from the individual. Research has shown that this type of interview process, especially with a person that displays an avoidant response, may become coercive, thereby potentially resulting in misinformation.
On the other hand, research has shown that a conversational process, designed to maximize cooperative instrumental problem-solving, results in gaining more accurate information. EBI is designed to create a dialogue between the interviewer and the individual in which the interviewer assesses the person’s level of cooperation and resistance. The interviewer then uses active listening skills to gain information from the individual through a collaborative process.
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In many investigative interviews, obtaining a full disclosure may be an unachievable goal for a number of reasons. Historically, investigative interviewers have focused heavily on obtaining full disclosures rather than corroboration.
Shifting the focus of the conversation to gaining corroboration potentially creates a multi-faceted foundation for your mitigation strategy. This foundation is built on information from the interview that corroborates timelines, evidence, and third-party statements. Since the focus has shifted from a single point regarding admissions to multiple points corroborating the investigation, it thereby provides the foundation for a stronger mitigation strategy.
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Rarely do we have a detailed plan or strategy to conduct an investigative interview. A plan is specifically designed to increase your odds of success. In the case of an investigative interview, success is measured by the amount of actionable information gained that furthers an investigation. The EBI Ops Plan is tailored to the individual and incorporates factors such as personality assessment, resistance assessment, conversation points, corroboration points, question risk assessment, and strategic use of evidence.
