Lie Detection, Interrogation, and Eyewitness Memory

Flashcards about lie detection, interrogation, and eyewitness memory.

What is the definition of deception according to Vrij (2008)?

A deliberate attempt to create in another a belief which the communicator believes to be untrue.

What are the main research questions in the field of lie detection?

Do liars and truth tellers differ? How good are people at distinguishing between truth and lie? Does the polygraph help detect liars? Are there ways to improve lie detection accuracy?

What are the types of lies people tell?

Exaggerations, fabrication of new facts, denials of facts, and subtle or white lies.

Why do people lie?

Self-oriented reasons such as to avoid punishment or create a positive image, and other-oriented reasons such as to protect social relationships.

What did Anderson's 1968 study find regarding how people feel about lying?

Being a liar was seen as the worst out of 555 character traits.

What is the double standard hypothesis regarding lying?

We are of two minds about lying: one when we are lying and one when we imagine being lied to.

According to the meta-analysis by Bond & DePaulo (2006), what is the accuracy rate in determining whether someone is lying?

The proportion of correct judgments in study = 54%, which is only slightly better than chance (50%). Police officers fare no better than lay people.

What are some beliefs about cues to deception?

Gaze aversion, movement/posture shifting, self-manipulations, stuttering, and long pauses.

What are some actual cues to deception?

Liars show somewhat fewer hand movements, have a higher pitched voice, and appear more tense.

Name three ways to increase accuracy in lie detection.

Have the person tell the story backwards, force the person to maintain eye contact, or have the person draw a picture related to the story.

What is the "strategic use of evidence" technique?

Exploiting differences in innocent and guilty suspects’ strategies by analyzing if statements are consistent with the evidence, based on early or late disclosure.

Who created the polygraph and what inspired its creation?

Dr. William Marston, inspired by his wife Elizabeth's suggestion of a connection between emotion and blood pressure.

What does the polygraph measure?

Blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, and galvanic skin response.

What are the problems with the relevant/irrelevant test (RIT)?

High false positive rate.

What are the concerns with the polygraph?

Person being tested must believe the test is accurate for it to 'work'. Innocence may increase anxiety. Lack of standardization (questions, scoring, demeanor and skill of examiner matter). Countermeasures can be effective.

What is the premise of the Guilty Knowledge Test?

People will react differently when they hear information that they know rather than information that is new to them.

What are challenges of the guilty knowledge test?

The crime details must be known only to the perpetrator, and there must be enough details that an innocent person couldn't guess correctly.

What is the admissibility of polygraph evidence in court?

23 states have banned the use of polygraph results in court. New Mexico is the only state that routinely admits polygraph evidence. Remaining states allow it in special circumstances. U.S. Supreme Court declared that polygraph evidence could not be admitted into any military courts.

How is the polygraph used for jobs?

The Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 restricts its use for most private employers, but public employees are exempt, and agencies like the CIA, FBI, DEA, and NSA use it.