Memory detection with the Concealed Information Test: A meta analysis of skin conductance, respiration, heart rate, and P300 data

The Response Time Concealed Information Test (RT-CIT) can reveal that a person recognizes a relevant item (probe, e.g. a murder weapon) among other, irrelevant items (controls), based on slower responses to the probe compared to the controls. The present paper assesses the influence of test length (due to practice, habituation, or fatigue) on two key variables in the RT-CIT: (a) probe-control differences and (b) classification accuracy, through a meta-analysis (using 12 previous experiments), as well as with two new experiments. It is consistently demonstrated that increased test length decreases probe-control differences but increases classification accuracies. The main implication for real-life application is that using altogether at least around 600 trials is optimal for the RT-CIT.

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Self-initiated versus instructed cheating in the physiological Concealed Information Test

10.31219/osf.io/uxmdp ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Linda Marjoleine Geven ◽

Nathalie klein Selle ◽

Gershon Ben-Shakhar ◽

Merel Kindt ◽

Bruno Verschuere

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Bayesian Statistics ◽

Null Hypothesis ◽

Ecological Validity ◽

Laboratory Studies ◽

Concealed Information Test ◽

Substantial Evidence ◽

Research And Practice ◽

Concealed Information ◽

Information Test

The validity of the Concealed Information Test (CIT) to detect recognition of critical details has been demonstrated in hundreds of laboratory studies. These studies, however, lack the factor of deliberate intent to deceive. This disparity between research and practice may affect the generalizability of laboratory based CIT findings.In the current study, 65 out of 174 participants cheated on their own initiative in a trivia quiz. These self-initiated cheaters were compared to 68 participants who were explicitly requested to cheat. Skin conductance, heart rate, and respiration were found to detect concealed information related to cheating. No significant differences emerged between self-initiated and instructed cheaters, supported by Bayesian statistics showing substantial evidence for the null hypothesis. The data demonstrate that the validity of the CIT is not restricted to instructed deception. This finding is encouraging from an ecological validity perspective and may pave the way for further field implementation of memory detection.

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Hide or Seek? Physiological Responses Reflect Both the Decision and the Attempt to Conceal Information

Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/0956797619864598 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 30 (10) ◽

pp. 1424-1433 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Nathalie klein Selle ◽

Naama Agari ◽

Gershon Ben-Shakhar

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Skin Conductance ◽

Physiological Response ◽

Response Pattern ◽

Physiological Responses ◽

Concealed Information Test ◽

Skin Conductance Responses ◽

Within Subjects ◽

Underlying Mechanisms ◽

Concealed Information

The process of information concealment is more relevant than ever in this day and age. Using a modified concealed-information test (CIT), we aimed to unmask this process by investigating both the decision and the attempt to conceal information in 38 students. The attempt to conceal (vs. reveal) information induced a differential physiological response pattern within subjects—whereas skin conductance increased in both conditions, respiration and heart rate were suppressed only in the conceal condition—confirming the idea that these measures reflect different underlying mechanisms. The decision to conceal (vs. reveal) information induced enhanced anticipatory skin conductance responses. To our knowledge, this is the first study that observed such anticipatory responses in an information-concealment paradigm. Together, these findings imply that our physiological responses reflect, to some degree, both the decision and the attempt to conceal information. In addition to strengthening CIT theory, this knowledge sheds novel light on anticipatory responding in decision making.

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