ABSTRACT
People make for poor lie detectors. They are little better than chance. Life and job experience, confidence, and other individual differences offer little to increase their ability. In this chapter, we consider passive lie detection methods that aim to discover who is lying or telling the truth by allowing the sender to deliver their statement without any intervention on the part of the receiver. Two such techniques are considered: criteria-based content analysis and reality monitoring. Both techniques perform relatively well but require substantive training to be applied appropriately. More recently, there has been a shift towards developing more active methods of detecting deception whereby the receiver attempts to elicit cues to honesty and deception from the sender. This chapter discusses the strengths and weaknesses of methods such as the behaviour analysis interview, the strategic use of evidence, and more. Finally, brief consideration is given to technologically aided detection techniques such as the polygraph.
