Detection of concealment in an information-gathering interview

Abstract

Deception researchers have suggested that when truth tellers and liars carry out the same activities, verbal differences in reporting such activities are unlikely to occur. We argue that liars will report these activities in less detail than truth tellers, due to a tendency to be less forthcoming with information relating to their deception. In the present experiment, truth tellers and liars carried out the same activities for benevolent (truth tellers) or malevolent (liars) reasons and were asked to report these activities in a free recall phase and in a cued recall phase. In the cued recall phase, half of the participants were asked to recall the information with their eyes closed. Liars' accounts were less detailed than truth tellers' accounts in the free recall phases of the interview. Eye closure resulted in the reporting of more detail by truth tellers and liars. The theoretical and applied implications of these findings are discussed.