Teaching Professionals to Detect Deception: The Efficacy of a Brief Training Workshop

Abstract

Despite the importance of credibility assessments in forensic settings, research shows that forensic professionals are mediocre at this task. This study tested the efficacy of a 2.5-hour training workshop on Assessment Criteria Indicative of Deception (ACID), a system of investigative interviewing and credibility assessment using verbal content analysis, in a sample of 99 forensic professionals at a maximum-security forensic hospital in the United States. Accuracy in detecting deception was assessed before and after training via written transcripts. Results showed that training improved participants' accuracy, with accuracy rates increasing from 61% to 70%. Implications of the findings and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Keywords:

• training
• deception detection
• verbal cues

Notes

¹ A complete review of the theories underlying the ACID technique are beyond the scope of this paper. See Colwell, Hiscock, Memon, Rachel, & Colwell, 2007, and Colwell, Hiscock, Memon, Taylor, & Prewitt, 2008, for a thorough review of such. See also Vrij et al. (2011) for a discussion of cognitive load.

² Due to time constraints, several people were unable to complete the demographics form; thus, this information is unknown for approximately one-third of the sample.

³ Due to the fact that the training occurred during normal business hours and, as a result, some individuals had to leave early, 15 individuals who provided pre-training data were unable to complete their post-training assessments; hence, the attrition in degrees of freedom after training.