4.5 Rapport principles

In the next activity you should start to develop your ideas about how you might approach the interview with Neale based on the principles of rapport you have learned about.

Activity 3

To help you with this activity, here are the adaptive and maladaptive interpersonal circles taken from Alison et al.’s (2013) ORBIT model (Observing Rapport Based Interpersonal Techniques). You should use these to help you start to make a plan for the interpersonal interaction with Neale.

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There are two circles, each split into segments. The first circle is labelled ‘Adaptive/positive patterns of interaction. Within the segments are the following labels: ‘In charge, sets the agenda, advises’; ‘Supportive, conversational, nonjudgmental’; ‘Social, warm, friendly’; ‘Respectful, trusting, admiring’; Modest, humble, seeking guidance’; ‘Wary, skeptical, reserved’; ‘Frank, forthright, critical’; ‘Confident, assertive, certain’. The second circle is labelled ‘Maladaptive/negative patterns of interaction’. Within the segments are the following labels: ‘Demanding, dogmatic, pedantic, rigid’; ‘Parental, patronising, rescuing’; ‘Over-familiar, obsequious, desperate’; ‘Uncertain, hesitant, apologetic’; ‘Formulaic, disengaged, conflict avoidant’; ‘Irritable, distrustful, resentful’; ‘Sarcastic, punitive, attacking, unfriendly’; ‘Judgmental, argumentative, competitive’.

To structure your thoughts you might want to consider the following questions:

• Where do you expect Neale to be on the interpersonal circle? HINT: you already have some good intelligence on this, because you have had the benefit of seeing his witness interview – but you need to factor in the impact that being arrested might have on him.
• Where do you think the interviewer might need to be on the interpersonal circle?
• Do you think Neale needs adaptive or maladaptive wheel behaviour from the interviewer and does he need dominance or submission and hostility or cooperation?

As you develop your ideas, remember that this type of planning conversation might comprise part of the ‘P’ mnemonic for planning in the PEACE model. If you make a note of your ideas, you will be able to reflect on your own plans, and compare them to the approach of DI Bullet who carries out Neale’s interview.

According to Alison et al. (2013) the principles of the interpersonal circumplex and also some principles borrowed from counselling psychology (specifically motivational interviewing) suggest that adaptability is also a very important interview skill. Sometimes things need to change as interviewers may need to adapt to how individuals behave, but it is good to devote time to thinking about likely opening interactions with suspects in preparing for interviews, while being open minded that adapting is always an important skill.