Discriminating Between Statements of True and False Intent: The Impact of Repeated Interviews and Strategic Questioning.

Between-statement consistency is regarded as an important cue to deceit. However, research indicates that liars can be as consistent as truth tellers. The consistency of statements of intent in two mock security settings was examined. Truth tellers spoke honestly of their intentions. Liars provided a cover story to mask their criminal intentions. Participants (N = 60) were interviewed three times, and their statements were coded for repetitions, omissions, and commissions. The similarities between truth tellers and liars on all three measures of consistency were striking. These findings highlight consistency as a pernicious cue to deceit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]