Can you keep a secret? Introducing the RT-based Concealed Information Test to children

ABSTRACT

The present study validates a novel version of the Reaction time-based Concealed Information Test (RT-CIT) adapted for young children (7–10 years). Their ability to deny the possession of relevant information was related to individual differences in intelligence, processing speed, executive functioning and affective problems. The comparison between the knowledgeable group of children (N = 84) who took part in a mock surprise scenario and the unknowledgeable group (N = 78) indicated that by early school-age the RT-CIT can be considered a relatively reliable diagnostic tool for detecting concealed information. We found evidence indicating that executive functions are predictors of children's proficiency in concealing information; however, the specific interrelations were complex (children with lower inhibition and spatial working memory, but with better shifting performance were easier to detect as possessing concealed information). Finally, we found limited evidence for a substantial association between parent-reported emotional problems and children's proficiency in concealing information. This investigation has practical implications for the development of rigorous protocols to detect children's concealed knowledge within legal environments.

KEYWORDS:

• Concealed Information Test
• children
• executive functions
• emotional problems
• deception detection

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Cristina Fizesan and Monica Buta for their involvement in the data collection. The authors are grateful to the children and parents who were involved in this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Laura Visu-Petra http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6905-9279

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a grant from the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research, CNCS – UEFISCDI, project number PN-II-RU-TE-2012-3-0323; the last author received a scholarship from the Sectoral Operational Programme for Human Resources Development 2007–2013, co-financed by the European Social Fund, project POSDRU/159/1.5/S/132400