Attempts to Convince

There is a difference between conveying information directly and making exaggerated attempts to convince (Rabon, 1996). Individuals who are telling the truth have no need to try to convince others that the information is accurate; truthful speakers assume that the information will be accepted as factual. Guilty 911 callers providing false narratives, however, realized they were on shaky ground and needed to bolster their “stories.” Some made Attempts to Convince the dispatchers by repeating key phrases such as “I was at the store” in an effort to support their fictitious messages. Often these phrases by themselves are true, but they are meant to obscure the whole truth. The Attempts to Convince indicator is defined as statements repeated three or more times in an effort to persuade the dispatchers.