Person with their face covered by shadow from their hat

Investigating credibility cues when individuals lie or tell the truth about a mission they completed

4 min read

The research is significant for police interviews as it will help with uncovering lies told by interviewees which has wider implications for the safety of society.

The procedure simulates real life scenarios. Participants will be asked to imagine that they are a new recruit for AC-12 which is an anti corruption police department. Participants will be sent on a mission and will then be interviewed regarding their experiences. Depending on the condition they are allocated, in an interview they will either recall truthfully what happened or they will be required to lie about some aspects.

After completing the mission, participants will be asked to complete a short pre-interview questionnaire and be given time to prepare for the interview. The interview will be held in King Henry Building and will be audio recorded. Audio recordings will be later transcribed. After the interview, participants will complete a post-interview questionnaire.

What will participants be doing?

Participants will complete some activities near the department of psychology. When returning to the department, they will complete a questionnaire. They will then be allocated to tell the truth or lie about the activities in an interview. After the interview, they will complete another questionnaire about their experiences. Please allow about 90 minutes for the whole experiment.

Location

King Henry Building, King Henry I street, PO1 2DY

Reward

Participants will receive £15 for taking part.

In addition, their names will be entered in a cash draw to win £150 (first prize), £75 (second prize), or £50 (third prize) if the interviewer believes they are telling the truth.

Participant characteristics:

  • 18+
  • Good grasp of English

Closing date

30 March 2022

Apply

Please send an email to the experimenter, oliwia.dabrowna@port.ac.uk.

Ethics code: SHFEC 2021-098