Advanced search
1 file | 424.67 KB Add to list

When deception becomes easy: the effects of task switching and goal neglect on the truth proportion effect

Author
Organization
Abstract
Lying is typically more cognitively demanding than truth telling. Yet, recent cognitive models of lying propose that lying can be just as easy as truth telling, depending on contextual factors. In line with this idea, research has shown that the cognitive cost of deception decreases when people frequently respond deceptively, while it increases when people rarely respond deceptively (i.e., the truth proportion effect). In the present study, we investigated two possible underlying mechanisms of the truth proportion effect. In Experiment 1 (N = 121), we controlled for the impact of switch costs by keeping the number of switches between deceptive and truthful responses constant. We found that people who often responded deceptively made fewer errors when responding deceptively than people who only occasionally responded deceptively, replicating the truth proportion effect. Thus, while the truth proportion effect in earlier studies may be partially driven by the cost of switching between truthful and deceptive responses, we still found evidence for the truth proportion effect while controlling for switch costs. In Experiment 2 (N = 68), we assessed whether the truth proportion effect is influenced by goal neglect. According to this view, the truth proportion effect should be reduced if participants are cued to maintain the task goals, while it should be larger when participants are allowed to neglect the task goals. In line with this hypothesis, we found a smaller truth proportion effect when participants were cued with the task goals compared to when they were not cued. This study shows that the truth proportion effect is influenced by goal neglect, implying that frequent deceptive responding strengthens the goal of responding deceptively. Our findings imply that the accuracy of lie detection tests could be increased by using a majority of truth items (i.e., induce the truth proportion effect), and that the truth proportion effect should be maximized
Keywords
COGNITIVE-LOAD, EXECUTIVE CONTROL, INTERFERENCE, RECONFIGURATION, LIARS, CUE, truth default, frequent lying, switch cost, inhibition, deception

Downloads

  • VanBockstaele Meijer2015 FiP.pdf
    • full text
    • |
    • open access
    • |
    • PDF
    • |
    • 424.67 KB

Citation

Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:

MLA
Van Bockstaele, B., et al. “When Deception Becomes Easy: The Effects of Task Switching and Goal Neglect on the Truth Proportion Effect.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 6, FRONTIERS MEDIA SA, 2015, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01666.
APA
Van Bockstaele, B., Wilhelm, C., Meijer, E., Debey, E., & Verschuere, B. (2015). When deception becomes easy: the effects of task switching and goal neglect on the truth proportion effect. Frontiers in Psychology, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01666
Chicago author-date
Van Bockstaele, B, C Wilhelm, E Meijer, Evelyne Debey, and Bruno Verschuere. 2015. “When Deception Becomes Easy: The Effects of Task Switching and Goal Neglect on the Truth Proportion Effect.” Frontiers in Psychology 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01666.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Van Bockstaele, B, C Wilhelm, E Meijer, Evelyne Debey, and Bruno Verschuere. 2015. “When Deception Becomes Easy: The Effects of Task Switching and Goal Neglect on the Truth Proportion Effect.” Frontiers in Psychology 6. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01666.
Vancouver
1.
Van Bockstaele B, Wilhelm C, Meijer E, Debey E, Verschuere B. When deception becomes easy: the effects of task switching and goal neglect on the truth proportion effect. Frontiers in Psychology. 2015;6.
IEEE
[1]
B. Van Bockstaele, C. Wilhelm, E. Meijer, E. Debey, and B. Verschuere, “When deception becomes easy: the effects of task switching and goal neglect on the truth proportion effect,” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 6, 2015.
@article{7102523,
  abstract     = {{Lying is typically more cognitively demanding than truth telling. Yet, recent cognitive models of lying propose that lying can be just as easy as truth telling, depending on contextual factors. In line with this idea, research has shown that the cognitive cost of deception decreases when people frequently respond deceptively, while it increases when people rarely respond deceptively (i.e., the truth proportion effect). In the present study, we investigated two possible underlying mechanisms of the truth proportion effect. In Experiment 1 (N = 121), we controlled for the impact of switch costs by keeping the number of switches between deceptive and truthful responses constant. We found that people who often responded deceptively made fewer errors when responding deceptively than people who only occasionally responded deceptively, replicating the truth proportion effect. Thus, while the truth proportion effect in earlier studies may be partially driven by the cost of switching between truthful and deceptive responses, we still found evidence for the truth proportion effect while controlling for switch costs. In Experiment 2 (N = 68), we assessed whether the truth proportion effect is influenced by goal neglect. According to this view, the truth proportion effect should be reduced if participants are cued to maintain the task goals, while it should be larger when participants are allowed to neglect the task goals. In line with this hypothesis, we found a smaller truth proportion effect when participants were cued with the task goals compared to when they were not cued. This study shows that the truth proportion effect is influenced by goal neglect, implying that frequent deceptive responding strengthens the goal of responding deceptively. Our findings imply that the accuracy of lie detection tests could be increased by using a majority of truth items (i.e., induce the truth proportion effect), and that the truth proportion effect should be maximized}},
  articleno    = {{1666}},
  author       = {{Van Bockstaele, B and Wilhelm, C and Meijer, E and Debey, Evelyne and Verschuere, Bruno}},
  issn         = {{1664-1078}},
  journal      = {{Frontiers in Psychology}},
  keywords     = {{COGNITIVE-LOAD,EXECUTIVE CONTROL,INTERFERENCE,RECONFIGURATION,LIARS,CUE,truth default,frequent lying,switch cost,inhibition,deception}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{9}},
  publisher    = {{FRONTIERS MEDIA SA}},
  title        = {{When deception becomes easy: the effects of task switching and goal neglect on the truth proportion effect}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01666}},
  volume       = {{6}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}

Altmetric
View in Altmetric
Web of Science
Times cited: