Distinguishing true from false confessions using physiological patterns of concealed information recognition – A proof of concept study

Wrongful conviction cases indicate that not all confessors are guilty. However, there is currently no validated method to assess the veracity of confessions. In this preregistered study, we evaluate whether a new application of the Concealed Information Test (CIT) is a potentially valid method to make a distinction between true and false admissions of guilt. Eighty-three participants completed problem-solving tasks, individually and in pairs. Unbeknownst to the participants, their team-member was a confederate, tempting the participant to break the experimental rules by assisting during an individual assignment. Irrespective of actual rule-breaking behavior, all participants were accused of cheating and interrogated. True confessors but not false confessors showed recognition of answers obtained by cheating in the individual task, as evidenced by larger physiological responses to the correct than to plausible but incorrect answers. These findings encourage further investigation on the use of memory detection to discriminate true from false confessions.