{"title":"Reaction Time as an Actual and a Perceived Cue to Deception Under Cognitive Load","authors":"Evan Brennan, Keith A. Hutchison","doi":"10.1002/acp.70075","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>The predictive validity of reaction time as an actual (objective) and a perceived cue to deception was tested in two experiments differing in question presentation methodology. Participants were video recorded while giving truthful and dishonest verbal responses to autobiographical questions under high and low cognitive load, and coders later viewed the recordings to detect their responses. We hypothesized that lie reaction times (RTs) would be significantly longer than truthful RTs and that longer RTs would be associated with differential lie and truth detection accuracy. We did not make any predictions regarding cognitive load, considering the current literature has produced mixed results. Our hypotheses were supported by the data. Results of our load manipulation differed between Experiment 1 and Experiment 2, leaving us questioning its validity. We provide many suggestions for future research regarding experimental methodologies measuring deception and cognitive load.</p>","PeriodicalId":48281,"journal":{"name":"Applied Cognitive Psychology","volume":"39 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/acp.70075","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Applied Cognitive Psychology","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/acp.70075","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, EXPERIMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The predictive validity of reaction time as an actual (objective) and a perceived cue to deception was tested in two experiments differing in question presentation methodology. Participants were video recorded while giving truthful and dishonest verbal responses to autobiographical questions under high and low cognitive load, and coders later viewed the recordings to detect their responses. We hypothesized that lie reaction times (RTs) would be significantly longer than truthful RTs and that longer RTs would be associated with differential lie and truth detection accuracy. We did not make any predictions regarding cognitive load, considering the current literature has produced mixed results. Our hypotheses were supported by the data. Results of our load manipulation differed between Experiment 1 and Experiment 2, leaving us questioning its validity. We provide many suggestions for future research regarding experimental methodologies measuring deception and cognitive load.
期刊介绍:
Applied Cognitive Psychology seeks to publish the best papers dealing with psychological analyses of memory, learning, thinking, problem solving, language, and consciousness as they occur in the real world. Applied Cognitive Psychology will publish papers on a wide variety of issues and from diverse theoretical perspectives. The journal focuses on studies of human performance and basic cognitive skills in everyday environments including, but not restricted to, studies of eyewitness memory, autobiographical memory, spatial cognition, skill training, expertise and skilled behaviour. Articles will normally combine realistic investigations of real world events with appropriate theoretical analyses and proper appraisal of practical implications.