Original Article
Collective interviewing: The use of a model statement to differentiate between pairs of truth-tellers and pairs of liars
Zarah Vernham,
Aldert Vrij,
Sharon Leal,
Corresponding Author
Zarah Vernham
Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, UK
Correspondence should be addressed to Zarah Vernham, Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, King Henry Building, King Henry 1 Street, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, UK (email: [email protected]).Search for more papers by this authorAldert Vrij
Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, UK
Search for more papers by this authorSharon Leal
Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, UK
Search for more papers by this authorZarah Vernham,
Aldert Vrij,
Sharon Leal,
Corresponding Author
Zarah Vernham
Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, UK
Correspondence should be addressed to Zarah Vernham, Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, King Henry Building, King Henry 1 Street, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, UK (email: [email protected]).Search for more papers by this authorAldert Vrij
Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, UK
Search for more papers by this authorSharon Leal
Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, UK
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Purpose
The current experiment examined the use of a model statement for aiding lie detection and gathering additional information during interviews in which pairs of suspects were interviewed together (i.e., collective interviewing). A model statement is an example of an answer, unrelated to the topic under investigation, which is played to suspects to demonstrate how much information the interviewer wants them to provide in response to the question asked.
Method
Pairs of truth-tellers visited a restaurant together, whereas pairs of liars completed a mock crime. The task for all pairs was to convince an interviewer that they were visiting a restaurant together at the time the crime was committed. Half the truth-telling pairs and half the lying pairs were exposed to a model statement, whilst the other halves were not.
Results
Truth-telling pairs were more detailed and showed more interactions than lying pairs, particularly in the model statement present condition.
Conclusions
Being exposed to a model statement in a collective interview magnified the differences between pairs of truth-tellers and pairs of liars in reporting detail and interacting with one another. A model statement is simple to implement and can be applied to many real-world investigative interviewing settings whereby the focus is on lie detection and gathering as much information as possible.
Supporting Information
| Filename | Description |
|---|---|
| lcrp12136-sup-0001-Suppinfo.docxWord document, 19.4 KB | Appendix S1 Additional results. |
Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.
References
- Amado, B. G., Arce, R., Fariña, F., & Vilarino, M. (2016). Criteria-Based Content Analysis (CBCA) reality criteria in adults: A meta-analytic review. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 16, 201–210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2016.01.002
- Barber, S. J., Harris, C. B., & Rajaram, S. (2014). Why two heads apart are better than two heads together: Multiple mechanisms underlie the collaborative inhibition effect in memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 41, 559–566. https://doi.org/10.1037/xlm0000037
- Blumen, H. M., & Stern, Y. (2011). Short-term and long-terms collaboration benefits on individual recall in younger and older adults. Memory & Cognition, 39, 147–154. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-010-0023-6
- Bull, R. (2014). Investigative interviewing. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag.
10.1007/978-1-4614-9642-7 Google Scholar
- Cialdini, R. (1993). Influence: Science and practice. New York, NY: Harper Collins.
- Driskell, J. E., Salas, E., & Driskell, T. (2012). Social indicators of deception. Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 54, 577–588. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018720812446338
- Duijn, P. A. C. (2016). Detecting and disrupting criminal networks. PhD thesis. Retrieved from https://dare.uva.nl/search?identifier=447f10ad-cecf-4b95-9f8b-7cb97e84eac0
- Ewens, S., Vrij, A., Leal, S., Mann, S., Jo, E., Shaboltas, A., Ivanova, M., Granskaya, J., & Houston, K. (2016). Using the model statement to elicit information and cues to deceit from native speakers, non-native speakers and those talking through an interpreter. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 30, 854–862. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3270
- Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7, 117–140. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872675400700202
- Fisher, R. P. (2010). Interviewing cooperative witnesses. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 15, 25–38. https://doi.org/10.1348/135532509X441891
- Fisher, R., Milne, R., & Bull, R. (2011). Interviewing cooperative witnesses. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20, 16–19. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721410396826
- Gabbert, F., Memon, A., & Allan, K. (2003). Memory conformity: Can eyewitnesses influence each other's memories for an event? Applied Cognitive Psychology, 17, 533–543. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.885
- Gilovich, T., Savitsky, K., & Medvec, V. H. (1998). The illusion of transparency: Biased assessments of others’ ability to read one's emotional states. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 332–346. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-1031(03)00056-8
- Granhag, P. A., Mac Giolla, E., Strömwall, L. A., & Rangmar, J. (2013). Counter-interrogation strategies among small cells of suspects. Psychiatry, Psychology, and Law, 20, 705–712. https://doi.org/10.1080/13218719.2012.729021
- Granhag, P. A., Strömwall, L. A., & Jonsson, A. C. (2003). Partners in crime: How liars in collusion betray themselves. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 33, 848–868. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2003.tb01928.x
- Hartwig, M., & Bond, C. F. (2014). Lie detection from multiple cues: A meta-analysis. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 28, 661–667. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3052
- Hollingshead, A. B. (1998). Retrieval processes in transactive memory systems. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 659–671. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.74.3.659
- Jundi, S., Vrij, A., Mann, S., Hope, L., Hillman, J., Warmelink, L., & Gahr, E. (2013). Who should I look at? Eye contact during collective interviewing as a cue to deceit. Psychology, Crime & Law, 19, 661–671. https://doi.org/10.1080/1068316X.2013.793332
- Kassin, S. M., & Gudjonsson, G. H. (2004). The psychology of confessions: A review of the literature and issues. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 5, 33–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1529-1006.2004.00016.x
- Kleinke, C. L. (1986). Gaze and eye contact: A research review. Psychological Bulletin, 100, 78–100. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.100.1.78
- Köhnken, G. (2004). Statement validity analysis and the ‘detection of the truth’. In P. A. Granhag & L. A. Strömwall (Eds.), Deception detection in forensic contexts (pp. 41–63). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
10.1017/CBO9780511490071.003 Google Scholar
- Krauss, R. M., & Chiu, C. Y. (1998). Language and social behaviour. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske & G. Lindsey (Eds.), Handbook of social psychology (pp. 41–88). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.
- Leal, S., Vrij, A., Warmelink, L., Vernham, Z., & Fisher, R. P. (2015). You cannot hide your telephone lies: Providing a model statement as an aid to detect deception in insurance telephone calls. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 20, 129–146. https://doi.org/10.1111/lcrp.12017
- Loftus, E. F. (2005). Planting misinformation in the human mind: A 30-year investigation of the malleability of memory. Learning and Memory, 12, 361–366. https://doi.org/10.1101/lm.94705
- Miller, G. A., & Chapman, J. P. (2001). Misunderstanding analysis of covariance. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 110, 40–48. https://doi.org/10.1037//0021-843X.110.1.40
- Nahari, G., & Vrij, A. (2014). Can I borrow your alibi? The applicability of the verifiability approach to the case of an alibi witness. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 3, 89–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2014.04.005
- Rajaram, S. (2011). Collaboration both hurts and helps memory: A cognitive perspective. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721411403251
- Ross, M., Blatz, C. W., & Schryer, E. (2008). Social memory processes. In H. L. Roediger (Ed.), Learning and memory – A comprehensive reference, Vol. 2: Cognitive psychology of learning (pp. 911–926). New York, NY: Elsevier.
10.1016/B978-012370509-9.00174-1 Google Scholar
- Strömwall, L. A., Granhag, P. A., & Jonsson, A. C. (2003). Deception among pairs: “Let's say we had lunch and hope they will swallow it!”. Psychology, Crime & Law, 9, 109–124. https://doi.org/10.1080/1068316031000116238
- Tekin, S., Granhag, P. A., Strömwall, L., Mac Giolla, E., Vrij, A., & Hartwig, M. (2015). Interviewing strategically to elicit admissions from guilty suspects. Law and Human Behavior, 39, 244–252. https://doi.org/10.1037/lhb0000131
- Tekin, S., Granhag, P. A., Strömwall, L., & Vrij, A. (2017). Police officers’ use of evidence to elicit admissions in a fictitious criminal case. Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 14, 60–73. https://doi.org/10.1002/jip.1463
- Vernham, Z., & Vrij, A. (2015). A review of the collective interviewing approach to detecting deception in pairs. Crime Psychology Review, 1, 43–58. https://doi.org/10.1080/23744006.2015.1051756
10.1080/23744006.2015.1051756 Google Scholar
- Vernham, Z., Vrij, A., Leal, S., Mann, S., & Hillman, J. (2014). Collective interviewing: A transactive memory approach towards identifying signs of truthfulness. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 3, 12–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2014.01.001
- Vrij, A. (2008). Detecting lies and deceit: Pitfalls and opportunities ( 2nd ed.). Chichester, UK: John Wiley and Sons.
- Vrij, A. (2016). Baselining as a lie detection method. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 30, 1112–1119. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3288
- Vrij, A., & Granhag, P. A. (2012). Eliciting cues to deception and truth: What matters are the questions asked. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 1, 110–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2012.02.004
- Vrij, A., Granhag, P. A., & Porter, S. (2010). Pitfalls and opportunities in nonverbal and verbal lie detection. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 11, 89–121. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100610390861
- Vrij, A., Hope, L., & Fisher, R. P. (2014). Eliciting reliable information in investigative interviews. Policy Insights from Behavioural and Brain Sciences, 1, 129–136. https://doi.org/10.1177/2372732214548592
10.1177/2372732214548592 Google Scholar
- Vrij, A., Jundi, S., Hope, L., Hillman, J., Gahr, E., Leal, S., Warmelink, L., Mann, S., Vernham, Z., & Granhag, P. A. (2012). Collective interviewing of suspects. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 1, 41–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2011.12.002
- Vrij, A., Leal, S., Granhag, P. A., Mann, S., Fisher, R., Hillman, J., & Sperry, K. (2009). Outsmarting the liars: The benefit of asking unanticipated questions. Law and Human Behavior, 33, 159–166. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10979-008-9143-y
- Vrij, A., Leal, S., Mann, S., Dalton, G., Jo, E., Shaboltas, A., … Houston, K. (2017). Using the model statement to elicit information and cues to deceit in interpreter-based interviews. Acta Psychologica, 177, 44–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2017.04.011
- Vrij, A., Mann, S., Kristen, S., & Fisher, R. (2007). Cues to deception and ability to detect lies as a function of police interview styles. Law and Human Behavior, 31, 499–518. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10979-006-9066-4
- Wegner, D. M. (1987). Transactive memory: A contemporary analysis of the group mind. In B. Mullen & G. R. Goethals (Eds.), Theories of group behaviour (pp. 185–208). New York, NY: Springer-Verlag.
10.1007/978-1-4612-4634-3_9 Google Scholar
- Weldon, M. S., & Bellinger, K. D. (1997). Collective memory: Collaborative and individual processes in remembering. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 23, 1160–1175. https://doi.org/10.1037//0278-7393.23.5.1160
