Confident to spot a con? Global research tests deception detection
New criminal justice research from CQUniversity is testing how people around the globe assess truth from lies – and giving participants their results in real time.
The study is designed to test lie detection ability and compare general population approaches with those of people training for careers in the criminal justice system.
CQUniversity forensic and social psychology lecturer Dr Rebecca Wilcoxson is leading the global research, working alongside criminal justice academics in New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France and the United Arab Emirates.
Participants can complete an anonymous online survey examining beliefs about deception, before watching clips from a tv gameshow and assessing contestants’ credibility.
At the end of the survey, participants receive their personal lie detection accuracy score.
Deception detection
Dr Wilcoxson said the project builds on her previous research that revealed a striking gap between confidence and capability when it comes to knowing who to trust.
"Many Australians believe they’re good at spotting a liar, but research consistently shows our actual accuracy is only slightly better than chance," Dr Wilcoxson said.
"We asked more than 500 Australians, and almost 85 per cent said they were confident in their ability to detect lies – consistent regardless of age, gender or education background.
"Yet when researchers test lie detection ability in controlled studies, people generally perform at only a little over 50 per cent accuracy, which is barely better than a coin toss."
“Tells” don’t tell
Dr Wilcoxson said popular assumptions about deceptive behaviour are often based on myths rather than evidence.
"People tend to look for signs such as avoiding eye contact, fidgeting, nervous gestures or unusual body language. The problem is that these behaviours are not reliable indicators of deception,” she explained.
The actions might also relate to anxiety about being believed, stress, neurodivergence, an unfamiliar situation, or discomfort being observed.
Dr Wilcoxson said the popularity of true crime content, police procedurals and online body language analysis had helped reinforce misconceptions about how deception works.
"We constantly hear that there are tell-tale signs for lying, but human communication is far more complex than that – and incorrect assumptions can become particularly important in criminal justice settings.”
For instance, as more than 20,000 Australians serve on juries each year, Dr Wilcoxson said the study highlights the importance of understanding how people evaluate truthfulness and credibility.
"Understanding how people make these judgments, and whether criminal justice students approach them differently, is a key goal of this research," she said.
"You don't need to be studying criminal justice to participate. Anyone can complete the survey, test their skills and contribute to a growing international research project examining how we detect truth and deception."
The anonymous survey takes around 20 to 30 minutes to complete, and it’s open to anyone.
Participants get a success rating, but not the correct answers – so when you compare results with your friends, there’s no chance of cheating!
Explore pathways in criminal justice with CQUniversity’s Bachelor of Science (Criminology and Psychology).
