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) 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.

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