Testing a potential alternative to traditional identification procedures: Reaction time-based concealed information test does not work for lineups with cooperative witnesses

Sauerland, Melanie; Wolfs, Andrea C. F.; Crans, Samantha; Verschuere, Bruno

doi:10.1007/s00426-017-0948-5

Cited by 9 publications

(32 citation statements)

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“…In two preregistered experiments, we tested whether a reaction time-based computerized test might serve as a radical alternative to the classic lineup (under favorable encoding conditions). Based on previous experiments (Georgiadou et al, 2019;Sauerland et al, 2019), we expected favorable encoding conditions to improve the capacity of the CIT to diagnose face recognition (CIT encoding effect; hypothesis 1). Extending earlier work, we also included a classic lineup condition as a benchmark of eyewitness performance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Diagnosing eyewitness identifications with reaction time-based concealed information test: the effect of observation time

Sauerland

Koller

Bastiaens

et al. 2022

Psychological Research

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Eyewitness identification procedures rely heavily on explicit identification from lineups. Lineups have been criticized because they have a considerable error rate. We tested the potential of implicit identifications in a Concealed Information Test (CIT) as an alternative. Previous experiments have suggested that implicit identification procedures might be suited when viewing conditions were favorable. In two experiments, mock eyewitnesses (Ns = 94, 509) witnessed a videotaped mock theft with longer or shorter observation time. We derived eyewitness identifications either implicitly from CIT reaction times or explicitly from simultaneous photo lineups. In Experiment 2, we also manipulated perpetrator presence. In both experiments, the perpetrator-present CIT showed capacity to diagnose face recognition, with large effect sizes (dE1 = 0.85 [0.51; 1.18]; dE2 = 0.74 [0.52; 0.96]), as expected. Unexpectedly, no moderation by observation time was found. In line with our hypothesis, no CIT effect emerged in the perpetrator-absent condition, indicating the absence of recognition (dE2 = 0.02 [− 0.17; 0.20]). We found no compelling evidence that one method would outperform the other. This work adds to accumulating evidence that suggests that, under favorable viewing conditions and replication provided, the RT-CIT might be diagnostic of facial recognition, for example when witnesses are hesitant of making an explicit identification. Future work might investigate conditions that affect performance in one, but not the other identification method.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Diagnosing eyewitness identifications with reaction time-based concealed information test: the effect of observation time

Sauerland

Koller

Bastiaens

et al. 2022

Psychological Research

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“…Further exploring the usefulness of the CIT as an alternative identification procedure, Sauerland, Wolfs, Crans, and Verschuere ( 2017 ) tested the utility of the RT-CIT in a typical eyewitness setup. Across five experiments, participants viewed a video of a mock crime before taking the RT-CIT.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is the aim of the current work to test two possible explanations for this unexpectedly small effect size. First, the physical similarity of the faces (i.e., matched faces) required in a fair lineup may have lowered the diagnosticity of the RT-CIT (Sauerland et al, 2017 ). Note that the facial images used in previous studies (Meijer et al, 2007 ; Seymour & Kerlin, 2008 ) were not similar according to physical characteristics (i.e., non-matched).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reaction time-based Concealed Information Test in eyewitness identification is moderated by picture similarity but not eyewitness cooperation

Georgiadou

Chronos

Verschuere

et al. 2019

Psychological Research

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The reaction time-based Concealed Information Test (RT-CIT) has high validity in assessing recognition of critical information. Findings on its usefulness for diagnosing face recognition in eyewitnesses are inconsistent. Experiment 1 (N = 82) tested whether closely matching the faces of the probes and irrelevants, as required for a fair lineup, undermines RT-CIT usefulness. Preregistered Experiments 2a and 2b (Ns = 48), tested the role of eyewitness cooperativeness for RT-CIT validity. All participants watched a mock crime video and then completed an RT-CIT. As expected, the usefulness of the RT-CIT was moderated by picture similarity, with better detection for non-matched faces. Unexpectedly, eyewitness cooperation (conceal vs. reveal recognition), did not affect the validity of the RT-CIT. A large CIT effect observed in Experiment 2b further suggested that-even with matched faces-the RT-CIT might be of use when encoding conditions during the crime were favorable. Cases in which witnesses are unwilling or afraid to make an explicit identification might concern another possible application.Publisher's Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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“…With regard to point (1), the differences between probe and irrelevant means and the related within-test probe-irrelevant effect sizes are regularly used to assess, informally or formally, the efficiency of different lie detection methods, even in comparisons across entirely different studies, paradigms, and technologies, and consequently, based on these comparisons, authors draw important practical conclusions [15,[62][63][64][65][66]. As we have shown here, such conclusions cannot be directly drawn.…”

Section: Conclusion and Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 91%

Dispersion matters: Diagnostics and control data computer simulation in Concealed Information Test studies

Lukács

Specker

2020

PLoS ONE

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Binary classification has numerous applications. For one, lie detection methods typically aim to classify each tested person either as "liar" or as "truthteller" based on the given test results. To infer practical implications, as well as to compare different methods, it is essential to assess the diagnostic efficiency, such as demonstrating the number of correctly classified persons. However, this is not always straightforward. In Concealed Information Tests (CITs), the key predictor value (probe-irrelevant difference) for "truthtellers" is always similar (zero on average), and "liars" are always distinguished by a larger value (i.e., a larger number resulting from the CIT test, as compared to the zero baseline). Thereby, in general, the larger predictor values a given CIT method obtains for "liars" on average, the better this method is assumed to be. This has indeed been assumed in countless studies, and therefore, when comparing the classification efficiencies of two different designs, the mean difference of "liar" predictor values in the two designs were simply compared to each other (hence not collecting "truthteller" data to spare resources). We show, based on the metadata of 12 different experimental designs collected in response time-based CIT studies, that differences in dispersion (i.e., variance in the data, e.g. the extent of random deviations from the zero average in case of "truthtellers") can substantially influence classification efficiency-to the point that, in extreme cases, one design may even be superior in classification despite having a larger mean "liar" predictor value. However, we also introduce a computer simulation procedure to estimate classification efficiency in the absence of "truthteller" data, and validate this procedure via a meta-analysis comparing outcomes based on empirical data versus simulated data.

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Testing a potential alternative to traditional identification procedures: Reaction time-based concealed information test does not work for lineups with cooperative witnesses

Cited by 9 publications

References 54 publications

Diagnosing eyewitness identifications with reaction time-based concealed information test: the effect of observation time

Diagnosing eyewitness identifications with reaction time-based concealed information test: the effect of observation time

Reaction time-based Concealed Information Test in eyewitness identification is moderated by picture similarity but not eyewitness cooperation

Dispersion matters: Diagnostics and control data computer simulation in Concealed Information Test studies

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