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Courses/Audit & Assurance/Fraud

Detecting Deception Within Interpersonal Communication

Uncover the truth in any conversation by mastering the psychological, verbal, and nonverbal cues needed to spot lies, read hidden motives, and protect yourself from manipulation.

Created byDon Rabonworkspace_premium
5.0
(7 reviews)
BeginnerUpdated Jun 16, 2026
Detecting Deception Within Interpersonal Communication

What You'll Learn

check_circleIdentify common verbal and nonverbal indicators associated with deceptive communication.
check_circleRecognize the role of baseline behavior and contextual analysis in credibility assessment.
check_circleApply questioning techniques designed to increase the reliability of information obtained.
check_circleExplain the limitations and risks of relying solely on behavioral “tells” when detecting deception.

About This Course

Effective communication often depends on the ability to assess credibility, identify inconsistencies, and respond strategically in high-stakes conversations. Detecting Deception within Interpersonal Communication introduces participants to practical, research-informed techniques for recognizing deceptive behavior in real-time interactions. Drawing from psychology, behavioral analysis, and investigative interviewing practices, this webinar explores verbal and nonverbal indicators of deception, cognitive load cues, and the role of baseline behavior in assessing credibility. Participants will also learn targeted questioning techniques designed to elicit more reliable information while avoiding common misconceptions about deception “tells.” Ideal for investigators, legal practitioners, managers, counselors, and other professionals who rely on accurate communication and informed decision-making.

Key Topics Discussed:

  • Historical and cultural methods of lie detection (e.g., ancient Babylon, ancient China, and Native American traditions)
  • Establishing an interviewee's communication baseline to provide context for behavior
  • Identifying shifts in verbal (words), vocal (sounds/silence), and nonverbal (body language/expressions) behaviors
  • Utilizing neutral topics and questions to map out normal behavioral variations
  • Recognizing dramatic, out-of-range changes as guideposts for amplifying questions
  • Understanding the primary motivations behind why an individual chooses to deceive
  • Using a deceiver's underlying motivation to apply compliance-gaining techniques
  • Defining deception as an intentional, learned phenomenon that requires a minimum of two participants
  • Distinguishing between explicit knowledge (conscious awareness) and implicit knowledge (unconscious information) in communication

Your Instructor

Don Rabon
Don Rabon

Owner - President | Successful Interviewing Techniques - a Division of Highly Motivated Inc.

menu_book8 courses
star21 reviews

Don retired as Deputy Director Western Campus, North Carolina Justice Academy, and was formerly manager of the Investigations Center of the North Carolina Justice Academy. Don has law enforcement experience in rural and municipal law enforcement agencies and instructional areas including Interviewing, Detecting Deception, Rapport Building, Interrogation, Persuasion, Audit-Related Interviewing, Investigations, and Investigative Discourse Analysis. For over a period of 35 years, his interviewing instruction and investigative assistance has been provided to related professionals in 46 U.S States as well as Puerto Rico, The Virgin Islands, Belgium, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Trinidad, Barbados, Singapore, Ireland, and England. In addition, he has provided training to Federal, State, and Local Criminal Justice Personnel, NATO Counterintelligence Personnel as well as private sector investigative and corporate security personnel. Don has his A.A.S. in Criminal Justice, from Davidson County Community College and a B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration, from East Tennessee State University. He has performed advanced studies at Eastern Kentucky University and has military experience with the US Army. He is a published author of 4 texts: Interviewing and Interrogation 2nd edition; Investigative Discourse Analysis 2nd Edition; Persuasive Interviewing; Fraud Related Interviewing and is editor of the interviewing focused newsletter, Hamlet’s Mind.

Credit Information

Do these courses count toward my professional development requirements?

This portal is provided as a training and development resource for City of Markham employees. Every course is delivered by a qualified subject matter expert or learning organization, is quantifiable in hours, and is verifiable — you receive a documented certificate of completion for every course you finish, stored on LearnFormula indefinitely.

If you hold a professional designation (for example in engineering, accounting, human resources, or law), courses may be counted as professionally relevant, verifiable learning activities toward your continuing professional development. Individual practitioners are responsible for confirming that an activity meets the requirements of their professional body. For questions about the City of Markham's training and development policies, please speak with your people leader or Human Resources.

What Students Are Saying

5.0
Student's Choice
7 reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

We are a registered provider with 327+ associations and regulatory bodies worldwide. We operate across 29 global markets including Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK. Every course page clearly displays its specific accreditations. Upon completion, you receive a professional certificate that can be validated online. Our certificates include all necessary accreditation details, credit hours, and completion dates, and are formatted specifically to meet the submission requirements of most global regulatory bodies.