Ethical Persuasion in Investigative Interviews
We have become highly skilled at identifying inappropriate or high-risk persuasion techniques in investigative interviewing, yet we have rarely offered a clear, ethical, evidence-based alternative. This webinar addresses that gap.
Investigative interviewing is often shaped by outdated, confession-driven practices that increase risk, compromise credibility, and increase the likelihood of false confessions. This webinar challenges those approaches and introduces MotiSuasion, an ethical alternative built on rapport, trust, and safety.
MotiSuasion allows interviewees to reveal their own agenda (also known as their information-management strategy according to the Strategic Use of Evidence [SUE] research) and then uses strategic persuasion to elicit reliable detail. Anchored by the PACER mnemonic device (Purpose Question, Account, Challenge, Evidence Presentation, Responsibility Question), this method offers investigators a practical framework for ethically motivating and persuading people to choose to speak in detail. The SUE is more than mere theory and may be easily applied to any science-based interview framework through the MotiSuasion approach.
Through real-world examples and practical strategies, participants will learn to identify poor interviewing culture, avoid high-risk tactics, and apply MotiSuasion and PACER to strengthen credibility and investigative outcomes.
Learning Objectives
- Recognize poor interviewing culture and its risks.
- Avoid high-risk tactics that undermine credibility and reliability.
- Apply MotiSuasion and the PACER Model to ethically motivate, persuade, and structure investigative interviews.
Bruce Pitt-Payne is a British Columbia–based investigative interviewing specialist (adults and children) with more than 26 years of experience in the RCMP, where he served as a major crime investigator, interview specialist and advisor, and the Program Manager for Investigative Interviewing Training in BC. In the latter role, he led the modernization of police interviewing practices, advancing research-informed, non-accusatory methods rooted in the PEACE framework and trauma-informed practice.
Following his RCMP career, Bruce established a full-time consulting and training practice focused on elevating investigative interviewing standards across police, regulatory, and workplace investigations. He is the founder of QTiPP (Qualified Trauma-informed PEACE Practitioner) a designation emphasizing ethical, evidence-based approaches to eliciting accurate information while minimizing harm.
Bruce develops and teaches interviewing tactics and techniques used by practitioners across Canada and abroad such as credibility assessment, and ethical persuasion.
He is also the creator of The PracTeachioner, a learning brand dedicated to bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and practical field application. His training programs, ranging from entry-level investigator courses to advanced interviewing workshops and courses, emphasize clarity, structure, ethics, and real-world applicability.
Bruce is widely recognized for his commitment to replacing outdated confrontational techniques with approaches grounded in psychology, communication science, and trauma-informed principles. His work continues to influence investigative practice, professional standards, and interviewer education across multiple disciplines in Canada and internationally.
604-908-0120
Website: https://brucegpittpayne.ca/
The PracTeachioner: https://youtube.com/@thepracteachionerbybrucepi-c8m
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