Premium
The External Validity of the Concealed Information Test: The Effect of Choosing to Commit a Mock Crime
Author(s) -
Nahari Tal,
Breska Assaf,
Elber Lotem,
Klein Selle Nathalie,
BenShakhar Gershon
Publication year - 2016
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.3304
Subject(s) - commit , psychology , test (biology) , task (project management) , social psychology , control (management) , empirical research , cognitive psychology , applied psychology , computer science , artificial intelligence , statistics , paleontology , management , database , economics , biology , mathematics
Summary The Concealed Information Test (CIT) aims to detect concealed information through differential physiological and behavioral responses to the concealed items. Although extensive experimental research has demonstrated the empirical validity of the CIT, the external validity of these studies has been questioned. One essential difference between experimental setups and realistic contexts is the voluntary act of committing the crime and concealing the critical (crime‐related) items. The present study examined whether the detection efficiency of the CIT alters under conditions of free choice to commit a mock crime. In the ‘choice’ condition, participants chose to perform a mock crime or a computerized task, while in the control, ‘instructed’ condition participants were instructed either to commit the mock crime or a computerized task. The results revealed no significant differences in the detection efficiency between the two conditions in electrodermal, respiration, and reaction time measures. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.