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How Awareness of Possible Evidence Induces Forthcoming Counter‐Interrogation Strategies
Author(s) -
Luke Timothy J.,
Dawson Evan,
Hartwig Maria,
Granhag Pär Anders
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
applied cognitive psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.719
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1099-0720
pISSN - 0888-4080
DOI - 10.1002/acp.3019
Subject(s) - interrogation , psychology , perception , lie detection , task (project management) , social psychology , deception , function (biology) , cognitive psychology , law , management , neuroscience , evolutionary biology , political science , economics , biology
Summary We propose that suspects' counter‐interrogation strategies vary as a function of their perception of the interrogator's knowledge about the events in question. The present study investigates the verbal behavior of guilty and innocent suspects when they are aware that there may be incriminating evidence against them. Participants (N = 143) took part in either a simulated act of terrorism or a benign task. They were then interviewed about their activities. Participants were randomly assigned to receive no additional information or to be informed that an investigative team may have collected evidence from surveillance cameras. Results suggest that when alerted to possible evidence against them, guilty suspects adopt either extremely withholding or extremely forthcoming verbal strategies. Theoretical implications of these results are discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.