Does (Biasing) Nonverbal Information Deteriorate the Accuracy of the Take-the-Best Heuristic for Deception detection?

Abstract

Does having access to nonverbal information facilitate or rather deteriorate deception detection accuracy? In study1, participants (N = 109) judged statements presented as video versus text on deception. In Study2, participants (N = 88) judging video statements with or without strongly biasing nonverbal behavior (i.e., truth tellers diverting their gaze, liars maintaining gaze). In both studies, we also manipulated the judgment method and replicated that focusing solely on the level of detail in the message outperformed intuitive judgments. The mere presence of nonverbal behavior did not deteriorate performance (Study1), but strongly biasing nonverbal behavior did (Study2). Our findings challenge the lay notion that access to nonverbal behavior could benefit deception detection, and shows it can even harm deception detection.