A social-cognitive framework for understanding serious lies: Activation-decision-construction-action theory

Walczyk, Jeffrey J.; Harris, Laura L.; Duck, Terri K.; Mulay, Devyani

doi:10.1016/j.newideapsych.2014.03.001

Cited by 164 publications

(241 citation statements)

References 96 publications

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“…As such, our study adds to previous selfreport findings (Walczyk et al, 2003) by providing more direct support for the idea that the truth can be useful in the lying process. Our findings validate the notions of the ActivationDecision-Construction-Action Theory (Walczyk et al, 2014) and Working Model of Deception (Vendemia, Buzan, & Simon-Dack, 2005) that point to the truth's usefulness in the act of lying. However, whereas these models advance the helpful nature of the truth in a rather non-explicit manner, and in the shadow of the conflict hypothesis, our study explicitly put forward the idea that the truth forms a first step in the construction of lies.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

“…Fourth, the models described above allow room for our counterintuitive idea that the truth can be functional in the lying process. The Activation-Decision-Construction-Action Theory, for example, argues that the truth prompts a network of semantic and episodic nodes in long-term memory, which can be accessed to construct a lie (Walczyk et al, 2014). Furthermore, the Working Model of Deception states that lying involves the process required for truth telling (Vendemia, Buzan, & Simon-Dack, 2005).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lying relies on the truth

2014

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Cognitive models of deception focus on the conflict-inducing nature of the truth activation during lying. Here we tested the counterintuitive hypothesis that the truth can also serve a functional role in the act of lying. More specifically, we examined whether the construction of a lie can involve a two-step process, where the first step entails activating the truth, based upon which a lie response can be formulated in a second step. To investigate this hypothesis, we tried to capture the covert truth activation in a reaction-time based deception paradigm.Together with each question, we presented either the truth or lie response as distractors. If lying depends on the covert activation of the truth, deceptive responses would thus be facilitated by truth distractors relative to lie distractors. Our results indeed revealed such a "covert congruency" effect, both in errors and reaction times (Experiment 1). Moreover, stimulating participants to use the distractor information by increasing the proportion of truth distractor trials enlarged the "covert congruency" effects, and as such confirmed that the effects operate at a covert response level (Experiment 2). Our findings lend support to the idea that lying relies on a first step of truth telling, and call for a shift in theoretical thinking that highlights both the functional and interfering properties of the truth activation in the lying process.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Lying relies on the truth

2014

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“…Finally, liars have to monitor their own behavior and that of their interaction partners in order to control behaviors that may be interpreted as lying. In sum, the cognitive view holds that deception is typically more cognitively demanding than truth telling (Ellwanger, Rosenfeld, Sweet, & Bhatt, 1996;Johnson, Barnhardt, & Zhu, 2004;Spence et al, 2004;Vrij, 2008;Zuckerman, DePaulo, & Rosenthal, 1981; for an opposing view see e.g., McCornack, Morrison, Paik, Wisner, & Zhu, 2014; for boundary conditions see e.g., Walczyk, Harris, Duck, & Mulay, 2014).…”

Section: The Cognitive Approach To Deceptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…So far, there are a few comprehensive cognitive theories of deception (e.g., Gombos, 2006;McCornack et al, 2014;Spence et al, 2004;Sporer & Schwandt, 2007;Sporer , 2016;Walczyk et al, 2014). The most elaborate theory is the Activation-Decision-ConstructionAction Theory (ADCAT) of deception (Walczyk et al, 2014).…”

Section: The Cognitive Approach To Deceptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The most elaborate theory is the Activation-Decision-ConstructionAction Theory (ADCAT) of deception (Walczyk et al, 2014). In this theory, lying involves four components or stages: (1) The activation of the truth from long-term memory, (2) the decision whether and how to deceptively alter the to-be-shared information, (3) the construction of the lie, and (4) the action itself.…”

Section: The Cognitive Approach To Deceptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lying takes time: A meta-analysis on reaction time measures of deception.

Suchotzki¹,

Verschuere²,

Bockstaele³

et al. 2017

Psychological Bulletin

218

210

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Lie detection techniques are frequently used, but most of them have been criticized for the lack of empirical support for their predictive validity and presumed underlying mechanisms. This situation has led to increased efforts to unravel the cognitive mechanisms underlying deception and to develop a comprehensive theory of deception. A cognitive approach to deception has reinvigorated interest in reaction time (RT) measures to differentiate lies from truths and to investigate whether lying is more cognitively demanding than truth telling. Here, we provide the results of a meta-analysis of 114 studies (n = 3307) using computerized RT paradigms to assess the cognitive cost of lying. Results revealed a large standardized RT difference, even after correction for publication bias (d = 1.049; 95% CI [0.930; 1.169]), with a large heterogeneity amongst effect sizes. Moderator analyses revealed that the RT deception effect was smaller, yet still large, in studies in which participants received instructions to avoid detection. The autobiographical Implicit Association Test produced smaller effects than the Concealed Information Test, the Sheffield Lie Test, and the Differentiation of Deception paradigm. An additional meta-analysis (17 studies, n = 348) showed that, like other deception measures, RT deception measures are susceptible to countermeasures. Whereas our meta-analysis corroborates current cognitive approaches to deception, the observed heterogeneity calls for further research on the boundary conditions of the cognitive cost of deception. RT-based measures of deception may have potential in applied settings, but countermeasures remain an important challenge. LYING TAKES TIME 3

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Information Manipulation Theory

McCornack

2015

The International Encyclopedia of Interpersonal Communication

120

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Information manipulation theory (IMT) is a theory of deceptive discourse design, authored by interpersonal communication scholar Steven McCornack. IMT argues that when deceiving others, people play with or “manipulate” relevant information in myriad ways within their discourse. According to IMT, the particular ways in which people manipulate information align with the conversational maxims suggested by philosopher Paul Grice, in his theory of conversational implicature. Although influential in impacting subsequent research, IMT also has drawn criticism, most notably for not being a testable theory. In response to this criticism, McCornack presented an elaboration of IMT, IMT2. IMT2 is a propositional theory of deceptive discourse production that is rooted in cognitive neuroscience, artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology, and speech production. IMT2 consists of a central premise and 11 propositions deriving from this premise, grouped into three propositional sets: intentional states, cognitive load, and information manipulation.

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A social-cognitive framework for understanding serious lies: Activation-decision-construction-action theory

Cited by 164 publications

References 96 publications

Lying relies on the truth

Lying relies on the truth

Lying takes time: A meta-analysis on reaction time measures of deception.

Information Manipulation Theory

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