The Effect of Suspicion on Deception Detection Accuracy: Optimal Level or Opposing Effects?

The current paper reexamines how suspicion affects deception detection accuracy. McCornack and Levine's (1990 McCornack , S. A. , & Levine , T. R. ( 1990 ). When lovers become leery: The relationship between suspicion and accuracy in detecting deception . Communication Monographs , 57 , 219 – 230 . doi: doi:10.1080/03637759009376197 Taylor & Francis Online, Web of Science ® , Google Scholar) nonlinear “optimal level” hypothesis is contrasted with an “opposing effects” hypothesis. Three different levels of suspicion were experimentally induced and participants (N = 91) made veracity judgments of videotaped interviews involving denials of cheating. The results were more consistent with the opposing effects hypotheses than the optimal level hypotheses.