Sample interview questions: How do you handle situations where an interviewee changes their story or provides inconsistent information?
Sample answer:
- Maintain a Calm and Neutral Demeanor:
- Remain calm and unfazed by the interviewee’s change in story or inconsistent information.
- Avoid showing surprise, shock, or judgmental reactions.
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Maintain a neutral facial expression and tone of voice.
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Clarify and Probe:
- Ask clarifying questions to understand the changes or inconsistencies in the interviewee’s story.
- Gently probe for more details without being confrontational or accusatory.
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Use open-ended questions that allow the interviewee to elaborate.
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Explore Possible Explanations:
- Consider various reasons why the interviewee may have changed their story or provided inconsistent information.
- Could it be due to genuine memory lapses, confusion, misunderstanding, fear, or an attempt to conceal information?
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Explore these possibilities by asking non-leading questions.
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Provide Opportunities for Self-Correction:
- Offer the interviewee opportunities to correct themselves if they realize they have misspoken or provided inaccurate information.
- Encourage them to clarify or elaborate on their answers.
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Avoid directly confronting them with their inconsistencies at this stage.
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Document Changes and Inconsistencies:
- Make detailed notes of the changes and inconsistencies in the interviewee’s story.
- Record the context in which the changes were made, as well as the interviewee’s demeanor and nonverbal cues.
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Document your attempts to clarify and probe f… Read full answer
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