Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2026
07:36
An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime
Published on: May 3, 2016
Cheating the lie detector: faking in the autobiographical Implicit Association Test
Bruno Verschuere1, Valentina Prati, Jan De Houwer
1Department of Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium. bruno.verschuere@ugent.be
Psychological Science
|March 21, 2009
Summary
The autobiographical Implicit Association Test (aIAT) shows promise for lie detection but can be faked. Guilty participants in studies successfully manipulated aIAT results, indicating it shares shortcomings with other deception detection methods.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Forensic Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- The autobiographical Implicit Association Test (aIAT) was proposed as a novel lie-detection tool with high accuracy.
- Previous research suggested the aIAT is resistant to deceptive manipulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the susceptibility of the aIAT to strategic faking.
- To determine if individuals can intentionally alter their aIAT performance.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments were conducted involving participants in a mock theft scenario.
- Participants' ability to manipulate aIAT outcomes was assessed under varying conditions, including response deadlines and lack of prior experience.
Main Results:
- Guilty participants were able to achieve an "innocent" outcome on the aIAT.
- The aIAT could be faked by guilty individuals even without prior exposure to the test or under time pressure.
Conclusions:
- The autobiographical Implicit Association Test (aIAT) is not resistant to faking.
- The aIAT shares vulnerabilities with other lie-detection methods, questioning its reliability as a deception detection tool.
Related Concept Videos
01:14Understanding Deception
Deception is a pervasive aspect of human communication. Empirical studies have shown that most individuals engage in some form of deceit on a daily basis, with approximately 20% of social exchanges involving deceptive elements. Lying follows a developmental trajectory, peaking during adolescence and declining with age, possibly due to the maturation of cognitive control and social accountability.Cognitive and Social Factors in Deception DetectionDespite its prevalence, accurately detecting...
01:18False Memories
False memories represent a cognitive distortion in which individuals recall events that did not happen, or remember them in an altered form. This phenomenon highlights the brain's constructive nature in processing and recalling memories, emphasizing that memory is not a perfect representation of past events but rather a dynamic reconstruction influenced by various factors.
One primary source of false memories is misattribution, where individuals incorrectly associate external information with...
One primary source of false memories is misattribution, where individuals incorrectly associate external information with...
02:55Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Humans are very diverse and although we share many similarities, we also have many differences. The social groups we belong to help form our identities (Tajfel, 1974). These differences may be difficult for some people to reconcile, which may lead to prejudice toward people who are different. Prejudice is a negative attitude and feeling toward an individual based solely on one’s membership in a particular social group (Allport, 1954; Brown, 2010). Prejudice is common against people who are...
01:15Theory of Attribution I: Correspondent Inference Theory
Correspondent inference theory, proposed by Jones and Davis in 1965, seeks to explain how individuals infer stable personality traits from observed behaviors. It suggests that people attribute actions to underlying dispositions rather than external circumstances, particularly when the behavior appears intentional and socially significant.Voluntary Behavior and Dispositional AttributionAccording to this theory, individuals are more likely to attribute behavior to personal traits when it appears...
02:05Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
People can go to great lengths to protect their self-image and present themselves in ways that they want others to see them. Sociologist Erving Goffman presented the idea that a person is like an actor on a stage. Calling his theory dramaturgy, Goffman believed that we use “impression management” to present ourselves to others as we hope to be perceived. Each situation is a new scene, and individuals perform different roles depending on who is present (Goffman, 1959). Think about the way you...
01:29Theory of Attribution II: Kelley's Covariation Theory
Attribution theory plays a crucial role in social psychology, helping to explain how individuals interpret the causes of behavior. One prominent model within this field is Harold Kelley's covariation theory, which provides a systematic approach to determining whether internal traits or external circumstances drive a person's actions. The model posits that individuals rely on three key types of information—consensus, consistency, and distinctiveness—to make these judgments.Consensus: Comparing...