In this article, a model of the cognitive processes involved in generating deceptive answers to questions is proposed. Partly based on recent accounts of discourse processing, it posits two central processes. One is the decision to lie followed by the construction of a lie. Each should add to response time compared to answering honestly. In Experiment 1, the construction component was assessed; 92 adults were randomly assigned to one of two conditions where they answered personal questions either deceptively or truthfully. Constructing a lie added reliably to response time. Thinkaloud and correlational data support features of the model. In Experiment 2, 121 adults were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: either to tell the truth, lie, or lie when asked a question that probed sensitive information. Replicating and extending Experiment 1, the decision to lie added reliably to response time in the case of open-ended questions (questions that elicit more than two possible answers). Based on between-and within-subjects comparisons, results suggest that response time is a cue to deception. Recommendations are made for future research.

No abstract

Undetected lies of prospective or current employees cost business billions of dollars annually. The ability to detect these lies would be of immense benefit. Several recent reports have called for research on new, theoretically based methods of lie detection. In response, we tested the Activation-Decision-Construction Model of lying (Walczyk, Roper, Seeman, & Humphreys, 2003) according to which response time is a cue to deception. Participants were tested person-to-person. In Experiment 1, half lied to questions probing recent episodic memories. The other half answered honestly. Liar-truth teller response time differences were observed between subjects. Discriminant analyses demonstrated the value of response time for uncovering deceit. Those highest in social skills were the quickest liars. In Experiment 2, lying was shown to take longer than truth telling within subjects, and within-subject response time standard deviations were shown to be converging cues to deception. Based on these data and the ADCM, a Time-Restricted Integrity Confirmation (Tri-Con) framework for lie detection is proposed that might one day provide cost effective lie detection for business. The Costs to Business of Undetected Lies

A useful dichotomy for reading researchers has been made between control processes and automatic processes. According to Schneider, Dumais, and Shiffrin (1984), control processes are mental activities that are slow, error prone, and serial in nature. Control processes are synonymous with attention-demanding activities. They are flexible but are "effortful" as well. Novel tasks and difficult tasks make heavy demands on control processes. An example is completing the Sunday crossword puzzle of The New York Times. Such a task requires reflection and memory searching. Because of the capacity-limited and serial nature of control processing resources, two tasks both requiring them will show performance trade-offs (Schneider et al., 1984;Wickens, 1984). A classic example is trying to attend to two con-

No abstract