The amygdala, or as some prefer to call it: the A-Spot, are two almond shaped bunches of brain c
ells at the heart of security threat assessment. Security threat assessment?!? How so?
The amygdala, part of our limbic system, plays a role in the processing and recall of emotional reactions. It sends impulses that activate the sympathetic nervous system. It’s the amygdala that relays stimuli that in a fight and flight response, push an adrenaline rush. It’s why our pupils dilate, heart rate quickens, we fidget and start to sweat when we perceive danger or threat.
The cortex, on the other hand, is the reasoning area of our brain. It is heuristic and supports our language, mathematical and reasoning ability. But do note that though the cortex makes our cognitive decisions, there are ten times as many neurons traveling from the amygdala to the cortex, than the other way around.
Let’s say you are walking down the street, minding your own business and suddenly hear someone behind you clap their hands loudly. You start, fists clenching, body closed and ready to protect yourself or fight. The A-spot tells you don’t think, act. Having resolved the issue with the clapping prankster, five minutes later, walking down the same street, again you suddenly hear someone behind you clap their hands loudly. But this time your reaction is different. The cortex has learned the lesson and tells the amygdala relax, it’s just that idiot again, clapping his hands.
In the realm of security threat assessments, when dealing with a potential criminal or terrorist, we can leverage the neuro-biological influences of the amygdala in the way we approach, observe and question a potential adversary. “Why are you lying to me?” and “How long have you been conducting surveillance?” are accusatory and provocative and bound to stimulate an amygdala response. These questions are like a loud clap behind someone’s head. Rapid fire questioning doesn’t give the interviewee much time to think, and likewise keeps him in the A-spot zone. Crafting general to gradually specific questions are also quite challenging for a lying person. These kinds of questions can trigger the amygdala which in turn reveals body language symptoms (sweating, voice trembling, etc) that can cue us in. We need to analyze responses to questions both via content (cortex-related) and body language (amygdala-related) in order to ascertain an individual’s true intent.
Sir/Madam
Very interesting to read the notes on the A-spot function and the care the interviewer should take when asking questions to the interviewee in order to be able to observe certain bodily reactions when lies are uttered and attempts are made to mislead. Again, we clearly see that interviewing/questioning is a fine art where the detective/interviewer has to be disciplined and fully au fait with many scientific developments and A-spot deductions from fellow scientists who are striving to improve the arsenal of the investigator continually in the on-going race to beat the criminal mind across the floor, notwithstanding how devious/shrewd/clever/dedicated/eccentric/dangerous/well-trained/unstable the subject presents. The challenge is huge. The battle of wits and minds remains the single biggest motivational factor for me;even after four decades of investigations! The battle continues.Good article, thank you and good luck to all the dedicated intelligence colleagues all over the world.
Andre Beukes rtd Lt Gen South African Police Service SAPS , Pretoria RSA
Note to surveillants: unless or until you want to send the subject into amygdaloid shock, don’t clap when you’re tailing him. The timing you choose to make him react to his other than cerebral responses depends on what you expect to find out from him and what if anything you know about him. Lieutenant General Beukes summed it up well with his adjective string: “devious/shrewd/clever/dedicated/eccentric/dangerous/well-trained/unstable.” If you know the subject to be trained he’s likely prepared for leading or provocative statements or questions and will not be easily flustered, and his amygdalae will hold their breaths. If he’s unstable or eccentric, it’s easier to find out before purposefully upsetting him and missing out on what he might have told you before fight or flight took over. If you have been profiling him you want to see if your observations and conclusions are validated, and continue to profile before you decide to short-circuit his self-control.
No disagreement with anything you or General Beukes wrote; just as a polygraph operator asks you to confirm your name and the date to establish a baseline, one should not go straight for an A-spot meltdown while he still might get some further signs and understanding. Then go for it.