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Helping to sort the liars from the truth-tellers: the gradual revelation of information during investigative interviews

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 21:36 authored by Coral J Dando, Ray Bull, Thomas OrmerodThomas Ormerod, Alexandra L Sandham
Research examining detection of verbal deception reveals that lay observers generally perform at chance. Yet, in the criminal justice system, laypersons that have not undergone specialist investigative training are frequently called upon to make veracity judgements (e.g., solicitors; magistrates; juries). We sought to improve performance by manipulating the timing of information revelation during investigative interviews. A total of 151 participants played an interactive computer game as either a truth-teller or a deceiver, and were interviewed afterwards. Game information known to the interviewer was revealed either early, at the end of the interview, or gradually throughout. Subsequently, 30 laypersons individually viewed a random selection of interviews (five deceivers and five truth-tellers from each condition), and made veracity and confidence judgements. Veracity judgements were most accurate in the gradual condition, p < .001, ?2 = .97 (above chance), and observers were more confident in those judgements, p < .001, ?2 = .99. Deceptive interviewees reported the gradual interviews to be the most cognitively demanding, p < .001; ?2 = .24. Our findings suggest that the detection of verbal deception by non-expert observers can be enhanced by employing interview techniques that maximize deceivers' cognitive load, while allowing truth-tellers the opportunity to respond to evidence incrementally.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Legal and Criminological Psychology

ISSN

1355-3259

Publisher

British Psychological Society

Issue

1

Volume

20

Page range

114-128

Department affiliated with

  • Psychology Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2015-07-13

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2015-07-13

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