467: Jack Schafer | Getting People to Reveal the Truth Part One

Techniques

Jack Schafer explains the effectiveness of using third-party perspectives to elicit truthful responses. By asking about hypothetical scenarios involving others, individuals often reveal their true thoughts and feelings. This technique is particularly useful in situations where direct questions might lead to socially desirable answers. Schafer shares an example of a student who realized her fiancé's true feelings through his comments about a TV show character, leading her to end the relationship.

If you want to find out if somebody's guilty of something and if they're sitting in front of you — instead of saying like, 'Did you do it? What's going on?' You can say like, 'What do you think should happen to the person who burnt down that house, that abandoned house?' And if they're guilty, they often hedge.

--- Jack Schafer

This approach is also used in polling to gain more accurate insights into voter intentions by asking about neighbors' preferences rather than direct inquiries about personal choices 1 2.

   

Scenarios

Real-life scenarios demonstrate the power of third-party perspective in uncovering hidden truths. Schafer recounts an exercise where a clerk inadvertently revealed sensitive information about a jewelry store's security due to his lack of awareness about the value of the information he possessed. This highlights how people often compartmentalize information based on personal relevance, making them more likely to disclose it when they don't see its immediate importance.

A lot of times people don't realize that they're in possession of sensitive information, especially at a lower level like he is. He's a clerk, he's selling rings and jewelry, and he doesn't realize that information he has can be useful in other aspects of the business and other aspects of life.

--- Jack Schafer

Additionally, Schafer illustrates how asking about third-party situations can reveal a person's true intentions, as seen in a student's inquiry about her fiancé's potential infidelity 3 1.