Effects of Situational Variables on Judgments About Deception and Detection Accuracy

In this study we investigated the effects of situational variables on judgments about deception. It was hypothesized that more deceptive judgments would be made in situations where there was high gain for the communicator, low probability that the deception would be detected, and a low cost for deception. Two hundred and forty-two participants viewed videotapes of persons describing their work history truthfully or deceitfully. Prior to the videotape, a short description of the situation was read to the participants in which the amount of gain, probability of detection, and cost of detection were manipulated. Following the videotapes, the participants were required to evaluate the applicant's performance on a number of scales and to indicate whether the applicant had held the job. The results supported the hypothesis.