However, as the interrogation continues and the suspect starts to mentally debate whether to tell the truth, the investigator should assume the confession posture. That is, he should break gaze down toward the floor, and go into a head and body slump. The guilty suspect, who wants to talk about the circumstances of his crime, will often mirror the investigator's posture and also assume a head and body slump. Once the suspect is in this posture he should be asked an alternative question to elicit the first admission of guilt. After a suspect has accepted the alternative question, the investigator now needs to bring him back into the conversation to elicit the full confession.
Most suspects are reluctant to discuss the details of their crime.
This task is rendered much easier if the investigator mirrors the suspect's posture at this stage of the interrogation. Often the suspect will have a forward lean to the body, exhibit very little eye contact and may have hand contact with the face. On the other hand, if the investigator mirrors the suspect's posture, perhaps by placing his left hand over his eyes, assuming a slight forward lean in the chair and directing his eye contact primarily to the floor the same question is bound to elicit a much more forthright account of the crime. In conclusion, because mirroring occurs at a preconscious level, it serves as a valuable behavior symptom to assess a suspect's candor during an interview and also as a procedure to allow a suspect to feel more comfortable telling the truth during an interrogation. This principle applies not only with criminal suspects, but in everyday interpersonal communication.