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When interference helps: increasing executive load to facilitate deception detection in the concealed information
George Visu-Petra1, Mihai Varga, Mircea Miclea
1Applied Cognitive Psychology Center, Department of Psychology, Babes-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Frontiers in Psychology
|April 2, 2013
Summary
Increasing executive load during a Concealed Information Test (CIT) did not improve individual detection accuracy. While dual-tasking showed larger reaction time differences, it did not enhance the overall effectiveness of this deception detection method.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Forensic Science
Background:
- The Concealed Information Test (CIT) is a method for detecting deception by assessing differential psychophysiological responses to crime-relevant information.
- Executive functions, such as attention and working memory, are hypothesized to play a role in the CIT's effectiveness.
- Increasing cognitive load through dual-task paradigms is a common method to investigate the involvement of executive functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether increasing executive load by concurrently performing memory or set-shifting tasks enhances the detection efficiency of a reaction time-based CIT.
- To examine the impact of dual-tasking on the concealed information effect and overall diagnostic accuracy.
Main Methods:
- Participants underwent a mock crime scenario and then completed three reaction time-based CIT conditions: a single-task CIT, a CIT with a concurrent memory task (CITMem), and a CIT with a concurrent set-shifting task (CITShift).
- Reaction times (RTs) and response accuracy for probe (relevant) and irrelevant stimuli were recorded.
- Signal detection theory parameters were used to assess discrimination accuracy against a simulated innocent group.
Main Results:
- The concealed information effect (increased RT and decreased accuracy for probe items) was observed in all three conditions.
- Dual-task conditions showed a larger difference in RTs between probe and irrelevant items, but this did not translate to significantly improved individual detection efficiency.
- Accurate discrimination was achieved across all conditions, with the CITMem condition showing the highest overall accuracy and the smallest accuracy difference between probe and irrelevant items.
Conclusions:
- While dual-tasking increases cognitive load and influences responses to CIT stimuli, it does not significantly enhance the individual-level detection efficiency of the reaction time-based CIT.
- Executive functions appear to be involved in processing CIT stimuli, as evidenced by performance on concurrent tasks.
- Further research is needed to understand the complex interplay between cognitive load, executive functions, and deception detection accuracy.
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