PROPOSAL FOR RESEARCH ON IMPROVEMENTS IN INTERROGATION TECHNIQUES BY THE USE OF AURAL SIDE TONE DELAY

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00144762
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: November 22, 2024
• Document Release Date: January 15, 1983
• Publication Date: October 22, 1951

/17
22 October 1951
/9`rdr- I1EZIO1ANDUI4 rat
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G-
SUI3JECT
Proposal for Research on Improvement,
in Interroration Techniques by the Use
of Aural Side Tone Delay.
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1. Approximately two weeks ago,
, called me because of his
knowledge of ny previous connection with research matters
and brought to my attention the subject proposal, copies
of which are attached hereto. Was
in town and arranrementa were made for ryself and
to witness a demonstration. We were very
much impressed with this demonstration and feel that this
device may be possibly used in connection with CIA,
endeavors. This proposal was referred to . . � -
of I&S. It has since been returned to me with a notation
that this particular device would not have any feasible
use in their program.
2. I am passinr this on to you in order that you
may put this proposal into the proper channels, CIA,
wide because I believe it has a potential Use in some of
our operations. It is ny suggestion that it may be of
value to determine how well our agents,maY be able to
react under pressure. It could also be of use in connection
with prisoner of war interrogation. It appears also, as
was demonstrated, to have a potential use in connection
with the program wherein after the interrorator has developed
critical areas, by skillful use this particular type of
detection might result in a ecoafc,ssion. If any activity
here is interested in a demonJLration or development of
this proposal, I would be very glad to assist them in
making arranrements as far as how to contoet the proper
people in the If, within a
,
111111MIMMIIII
reaeonahle time, there
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reasonable time, there is no interemt shown we should
0 notify the' - ---- 'to that effect.
Attachment : Proposal for Research on
Improvements in Interrogation
Techniques by the Use of Aural
Side Tone Delay.
cc:
Orig. & 1 � Addressee
6-- 2�
,
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FRCM7.%7, FOR R2S7,07-11 ON IMPY/17TrTS IN
717.1ROGATION 1"7CHNTES T1g7 USE 07 :VIRAL
SIDE Tow. DELAY
By
September 14, 1951
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I
1 eeplication of
:obseevatians on the effects of side tone delay and the
As a roeult of nome-discussionr between
----effect to criminal and prisoner of- interrogetion,
'
se the sjeet of Ub
eossi:flethA
and the underigned o
some experiments were conducted to an an ides of the possible scope and
potential importance and practicability of the teelmique.
rropoeal for Research on Improvements in Interrogetion Techniquez by the Use
of Aural Side To Delay
Svhsequently, in a donenstration, , witnessed by
of the , sub�
jet, who had come in for routine lie-detEctor examieetion in connection with
confessed with unusual
abreptness when he Was subject �2 e3de tone deley during his anewers to the
prrtieular quertions tn -ehich he had previously gie m en abnormal blood nressery
responses under test with the ."rolygraph.
The apperatus etilized wns compareti., simple, conrietiug of a
legeceord :del rT53-A7. Recorder and Liegnecord Yodel riT3-J Amelifier. This
recorder has three magnetic heads for erasing, reeording x.nd monitoring's
se:lie es it is pulled thrcugh the ryrtem et 7. inches per second. The re-
hr is reperated from the playback head by 1-0 inchee, providing
a fixed elee of abont 0.2 seconeel between a neend utter e0 by the subject
into the recerding microphone and the recerded-playback rjrnal in the ear-
phones worn by the subjeet being interrogated.. An 'alternative delay of 0.1
second, ottsine:l with the seme record-playback headcpacing but with a tepe
speed of 15 inehes ner second is available but prelimieary tests indiceted,
as was to he -.erected from eork, that a 0.2 seeend delay has con-
siderable more effect on the subject than a 0.1 second delay. Consequently,
the 0.2 second delay was used in further testing.
The subject strongly maintained his innocence in prclierinary ques-
tiering end during and after the tort using the ----relygreph, which records
blood rreeeure, heert rate, reseiration rete end museular no/relic:eat. The -poly-
graph record nhcwed abnormal deviations dur.i.ne sereral key questions. The
eubject wes then inteerogated with the aid or the nid..! tnee delay apparatue
v:ing the eey questionc end e variety of irrelevant questione. The nide tors:
delay lens employed during the enserers to thn quertionswhich bed previously
Given abnermal nrlygraph rerponee: end was cut ouL -o that there was no delay
during the answers to queetinrs '(rich had occasioned no ehuermal polygreeh
responses. Arter conciwiltic +hi e pert of the interrogsbion the record wcs
pleyed back and the sObjeet was asked the reason "or hi- difficulty in eivirg
answers to the key questiers. The confession followed elmoet immediately.
ri--
It should la pointed out that this teehnique, or n refined
redificetien of it, ir employed with rAl innocent zni,ject rine has riven
peeudo-suilty reactions, cannot- reeult izfe celf-incrimination 111
the nnture of things, but et most would result in a somewhat conlured
ctete of mind on the part of the eUbject.
rt is thereferc cur desire to rursue this line of investigation
and to devote particular attention to several points. These are:
1. Tlkough investigation of the variables seeh a= length of
delay used, the smooth variation of -delay durin7 the interval of passing
from an irrelevant to e !-ey (dli.y response) luestion, the timing of
questions, the reading if e prepared statement versus queetiouing during
the test, the length of answer desired from the subject, etc.
The adeptatiener the teehrique, to prieorer of war interregation,
rince ere believe from these ereliminary experiments that strieeg increases
in rreed and efficiency of the intorrogation and subsequent divulgerce of
decired infermation mey be found nose-3.11e.
7� The inrctIgation of remote readinL, instreventation, since It
evrears to us that one of the important differenece between criminal ard
nrisonee of war interregatien lisc in the non-eoluntecr nature of the
latter nre therefore leestiening without inst�ementetien attached to the
sulject may have decided edvantages over the usual polygraph teehniquo..
It epnearn rcasonnhle, for instance, that remote indicating infra-red
re1let1Jr lavnl indicetors, which have reacted a high decree of develoo-
ment in ether fielehi, could take the place ef the blood rreerure eolyr,renh
nttnchmeut 7itheut the eubject beine nware of the venroremert takins place.
This assumption is based on whet nppears to .be.a reasonable expectation of
n heart rate, skin radiaticn correlation.
4. The investigntion of the possibility of producing side tone
delay and allied effects witheiet the use of earpheres. It is belieeed
rooeenahle to ereect thnt ty use of a microphone, ortereibly ror reoording
perposne, but whi.ch is e modified throat type of micrephoue so that un-
eeeireblc foed-baek can h avoided, coupled with focureine, speekere, that
reiee the level of eound in the vicinity of the rubjce!:'e -ere ru7fielertly
!1"-ove that of his direct voice level ne thet he is erare only of the reund
frew the rp-ekers, the effect cr cide tone deley mny by ealred witheut
attached eerrhones. 'his mey be deeirnle for non-eolun'ecer oueetienieb.
1
T'eception detection nolygrefh tech.eiines hive ect reached the
et which their lee is simele and autometie. ".r, a 7ntter or fact,
zober anelyein S'-777`7. thet highly experienced ceer-tern and laternreters ere
a yri7e of wHr- differeece emete: rehleotn. It
77y eltimetely nrove ioszPl, ho,Jeeer, with i7preoe-ente in relyeraph teeh-
eigue: to enerate directly side teee delay by al:nernel polygraph responses.
leedle=e to say, the mattlr is relatieely eimple from a reeherieal and
elestronie point of view. Oervo melhanism teehoi-lues would provide wide
laidtude in the eel-ctien Aesirable reepenee characteristics. If lie-
eii'non. bc sufficiently imerov.id the direct control of nlas
k,,r3,17 dcl.v will b nalrost si;c1-14-7.
It
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It miTht 1.)e stated at thi.c point t-at if t,le
agrees to choose this laboratory for the experimental
-Isork susconted that the business case lo. will have to be reduced to
scsommodate the project. Aowever, it must be norther stated that the
experiments, ..t!ir necessity 7.nd for adequate results, must be stiNinistorcd
usiar actual laboratory case subcts. It lms elrnys been the alloca+4.on
of that failures in lie detection exoerimentation have heng
duc to thc use or erperimental case subjects who deL.oAstrate a willinness
+b coopernte.so that tls nr.periments will be a success. Actual ease sub-
jects-, hy the nn.tv.re of their 15,ht, will not shosr the sane willirgnons to
cooperate to assist the experiment.
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`rt
:Te believe
facilities arc adequate and achusl case loel sufficient to complete
the experiment.
This preliminary proposal is submitted to the
for thc purpose or ascertathirc the porz.bility of naval interest
;Ai on.1 financial support of a rerearen program alon:: the lines discussed
above. It is foreseen that a fall 717fie ihvestibator will required.
Iustrumentatiou, some of 77hic1 is aveilable from stock anri s.:re of %hich
7:ill have to he rpcsiall; designed and it, iill e required.
will serve as direeter on a part-time basis.
Very truly 7ours,