Which statement is false regarding bait questions and commitments of denial?

• A. A bait question should be used before the subject has made an appropriate commitment of denial.
• B. A bait question is a standard behavior-provoking question.
• C. A bait question can address real or nonexistent evidence.
• D. A bait question should be used after a denial has been committed.

Answer: (A)

Bait questions are used to provoke a denial by presenting something the interviewer can treat as evidence, whether real or imagined, with the aim of prompting the subject to commit to a denial and then be challenged to reveal more. The timing matters: you want the subject to have committed to denying a point before you introduce the bait question, so that the bait can confront that denial and push toward further disclosure. Saying you should use a bait question before any denial commitment is false because it’s the denial commitment that sets up the effectiveness of the bait.

The other statements align with how bait questions are commonly used: they are standard behavior-provoking prompts; they can reference real or nonexistent evidence; and they are typically employed after a denial has been committed to, to test its consistency and nudge toward a fuller admission.