Lie judgment trigger sensitivity and truth-bias: truth default theory in intergroup communication

ABSTRACT

The central premise of truth-default theory (TDT) posits that listeners are truth-biased in communication exchanges. Levine’s TDT speculates that intergroup communication impacts truth-bias. To test this notion, participants judged the veracity of videos of speakers from the U.S. and China discussing their opinions on mask mandates and personal relationships. The results show that people hold a stronger truth-bias toward in-group members when those people share the same stance on the social issue of mask mandates. However, the study findings did not show a relationship between cultural identity on truth-bias. Interestingly, all participants showed a higher lie judgment trigger sensitivity toward speakers from a different culture, and higher lie judgment trigger sensitivity was also present for those who shared differing opinions on mask mandates.

KEYWORDS:

• Deception
• truth-bias
• trigger-sensitivity
• intergroup
• IAT

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Xiaoti Fan

Xiaoti Fan is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at The University of Alabama.

Darrin J. Griffin

Darrin J. Griffin is an Associate Professor and Interim Chair of Communication Studies at the University of Alabama.

Elizabeth P. Tagg

Elizabeth P. Tagg is a graduate student at The University of Alabama.