Kinesic Interviewing is an interviewing technique used to evaluate nonverbal behavior which can certainly help in the detection of deception, but realistically all kinesic interviewing does is to detect changes in a person’s physical behavior. The idea is that a person’s physical behavior is a manifestation of how a person is feeling (emotion creates motion) but is not necessarily indicative of deception… simply a change of emotion or stress levels (both eustress and distress).

The kinesic interviewer is trained to notice these changes in syntax and relative to the line of questioning and in contrast to the subject’s baseline or “normal” behavior. For example, when a fugitive investigator asks if the subject spoke to a particular fugitive and the subject’s breathing quickens, becomes shallow or stops altogether at that moment despite the subject claiming to not have, then the investigator knows that he needs to probe that area deeper but not make the assumption (yet) that the subject is lying. Perhaps the subject did not speak to the fugitive but has additional information or strong feelings about the question. The subject may be frightened by the investigator’s line of questioning, which would also create changes in physical behavior, too. It will take additional questioning and evaluation before developing a better opinion about whether the subject is telling the truth (and they are all opinions until the subject confesses to lying).

Kinesic Interviewing is very powerful technique when used in conjunction with timeline analysis or statement analysis.