Determinants of event-related potentials during deception paradigms : Investigating individual differences and effects of the moral context

Paradigms based on event-related potentials (ERPs) are promising for detecting deception. However, less is known about moderators of the ERP patterns during deception tasks. To ensure that the investigated ERPs are markers for deception in multiple situations and for different individuals, their moderating variables need to be unraveled. Furthermore, this allows to better understand the cognitive processes involved in deception tasks. Therefore, in three studies, determinants of P300s and medial frontal negativities (MFNs) in deception tasks were investigated. A special focus lied on variables related to morality. ERP-based deception studies typically apply the concealed information test (CIT): Participants conceal knowledge about probe items, which they have seen before, e.g., during a mock-crime, and honestly indicate for irrelevant items that they do not know them. In two of the thesis' studies, the situations before the CIT, during which participants got to know the probe items, were manipulated. In one study, the moderating effect of moral involvement was analyzed: Some participants witnessed, and others demonstrated, a behavior causing a small social problem. Additionally, I investigated whether Machiavellianism moderates the patterns of P300 and MFN amplitudes. In another study, the moderating effect of moral valence was examined. Participants saw the probe items while performing a negative or positive behavior (committing mock-theft vs. giving a present). In a third study, participants lied about their attitudes. The moderating effect of Machiavellianism on P300 and MFN amplitudes was also investigated for this deception paradigm. Overall, MFN amplitudes were enlarged for deceptive compared to honest responses, indicating stronger response conflicts for deception. As expected, the P300 displayed a dual-nature in the two deception paradigms. For CITs, P300s were enlarged for probe items requiring a deceptive response, compared to irrelevant items requiring an honest response, revealing a greater salience of probe items. In the paradigm that did not involve the concealment of knowledge but deception about attitudes, P300 amplitudes were suppressed for deceptive compared to honest responses, revealing a greater mental workload for deception. Whereas moral valence did not moderate patterns of MFN amplitudes, a moderation effect occurred for moral involvement. The difference of MFNs between probe and irrelevant items was reduced for participants witnessing a behavior causing a problem than for participants demonstrating this behavior. Accordingly, conflicts during deception were attenuated for witnesses. In general, Machiavellianism did not moderate the conflicts during deception, as indicated by MFN amplitudes, but did so in one condition in which the benefits of deception could be perceived as high. Patterns of P300 amplitudes proved to be stable for differences in the variables related to morality. P300 amplitudes seem to be promising markers of deception, even in social, non-forensic situations. They were unaffected by Machiavellianism, situations with a positive and negative moral valence, witnesses as well as people performing a behavior causing a small social problem.Ereigniskorrelierte Potenziale (EKPs) gelten als erfolgversprechend für die Aufdeckung von Täuschung. Es ist aber noch wenig darüber bekannt, von welchen Variablen die EKPs während Täuschungsaufgaben beeinflusst werden. Um sicherzustellen, dass mittels EKPs Täuschung in unterschiedlichen Situationen und für verschiedene Personen erkennbar ist, müssen deren Einflussgrößen aufgedeckt werden. Dies bietet gleichzeitig die Möglichkeit, ein besseres Verständnis von den während Täuschung ablaufenden kognitiven Prozessen zu erlangen. In drei Studien wurden die Muster der P300 und medialen frontalen Negativität (MFN) sowie deren Moderatorvariablen in Täuschungsparadigmen untersucht. Ein besonderer Fokus lag auf dem moralischen Kontext der Täuschungsaufgabe. In EKP-basierten Täuschungsstudien wird meist der Tatwissenstest eingesetzt. Die Probanden verheimlichen, dass sie bestimmte Items kennen (sogenannte Probe-Items), welche sie zuvor gesehen haben, beispielsweise während eines gestellten Verbrechens. Bei anderen, irrelevanten Items geben sie dagegen ehrlich an, dass ihnen ebendiese unbekannt sind. In zwei Studien der Dissertation wurde die Situation vor dem Tatwissenstest verändert, während der die Probanden den Probe-Stimulus kennenlernen. In einer Studie wurde die moralische Involviertheit der Probanden manipuliert: Einige Probanden übten ein Verhalten aus, das zu einem kleinen sozialen Konflikt führte. Dagegen beobachteten andere Probanden eine Person, welche dasselbe Verhalten zeigte. Zusätzlich wurde analysiert, ob Machiavellismus die Muster der P300- und MFN-Amplituden beeinflusst. Innerhalb einer weiteren Studie wurde der Effekt von moralischer Valenz auf die beiden EKPs untersucht. Die Probanden sahen den Probe-Stimulus entweder während sie ein negativ oder positiv konnotiertes Verhalten ausübten (einen Diebstahl verüben vs. einer anderen Person ein Geschenk geben). In einer dritten Studie logen die Probanden über ihre eigenen Einstellungen. Auch für dieses Täuschungsparadigma wurde analysiert, ob Machiavellismus die P300- und MFN-Amplituden beeinflusst. In allen drei Studien ging Lügen mit negativeren MFN-Amplituden einher als ehrlich zu antworten, was darauf hinweist, dass Täuschung mit stärkeren Antwortkonflikten verbunden war. Wie erwartet zeigten sich unterschiedliche Muster der P300-Amplituden in den beiden Täuschungsparadigmen. Beim Tatwissenstest fanden sich positivere P300-Amplituden für Probe-Items im Vergleich zu irrelevanten Items. Probe-Items waren demzufolge salienter. Wenn es dagegen nicht um die Bekanntheit von Stimuli ging, sondern die Probanden über ihre eigenen Einstellungen logen, zeigten sich verminderte P300-Amplituden für Lügen im Vergleich zu ehrlichen Antworten. Dies weist darauf hin, dass Lügen mit einer erhöhten kognitiven Anstrengung verbunden war. Für Zeugen eines Verhaltens, das zu einem kleinen sozialen Konflikt führte, zeigte sich ein geringerer Unterschied der MFN-Amplituden zwischen irrelevanten und Probe-Stimuli als für Probanden, die das Verhalten selber ausübten. Für Zeugen war Lügen dementsprechend mit geringeren Antwortkonflikten verbunden. Es fand sich kein allgemeiner Einfluss von Machiavellismus auf die MFN-Amplituden, sondern nur in einer Bedingung, in der die Vorteile der Täuschung als hoch eingeschätzt werden konnten. P300-Amplituden wurden nicht von den untersuchten moralischen Variablen beeinflusst. Daher scheinen P300-Amplituden auch in nicht-forensischen, sozialen Situationen erfolgversprechend für die Aufdeckung von Täuschung zu sein. Sie wurden nicht von der Machiavellismusausprägung der Probanden beeinflusst, ebenso nicht von der moralischen Valenz der Situation sowie der Involviertheit der Probanden bei einem Verhalten, das einen kleinen sozialen Konflikt verursachte

Psychometric Properties of a German Online Version of the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale 1

Suggestibility is a trait dimension that has been differentiated into Yield and Shift dimensions. Yield refers to the susceptibility to suggestive item content in a first question series (Yield 1) and a second question series following negative feedback (Yield 2). Shift describes the tendency to change answers over the two series of questions depending on social pressure. This study aimed at investigating the psychometric properties and the factor structure of a German online version of the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale 1 (GSS 1) and measurement invariance of suggestibility scores for gender and research institution. A total of N=560 (n=287 female; age: M=24.20, SD=4.60years) students participated in the study. We present Stanine norms for the application of the online GSS 1. Results supported the theoretical basis of the GSS by revealing the two expected suggestibility factors: Yield and Shift. As expected, a leading factor and a non-leading factor were identified for Yield 1 and Yield 2 and a single factor for Shift. We report psychometric properties (e.g., item difficulty, part-whole corrected item-total correlations, reliability coefficients). We compare the factorial structure of the German online GSS 1 with former versions of the GSS 1. Our data suggest widely measurement invariance for gender and research institution on Yield 1 and Yield 2

The association of dispositional anxiety with the NoGo N2 under relaxation instruction vs. speed/accuracy instruction

Prior research suggests that cognitive control, indicated by NoGo N2 amplitudes in Go/NoGo tasks, is associated with dispositional anxiety. This negative association tends to be reduced in anxiety-enhancing experimental conditions. However, anxiety-reducing conditions have not yet been investigated systematically. Thus, the present study compares the effect of a relaxation instruction with the conventional speed/accuracy instruction in a Go/NoGo task on the correlation of the NoGo N2 with two subconstructs of dispositional anxiety, namely anxious apprehension and anxious arousal. As the test of differences between correlations needs considerable statistical power, the present study was included into the multi-lab CoScience Project. The hypotheses, manipulation checks, and the main path of pre-processing and statistical analysis were preregistered. Complete data sets of 777 participants were available for data analysis. Preregistered general linear models revealed that the different instructions of the task (speed/accuracy vs. relaxation) had no effect on the association between dispositional anxiety and the NoGo N2 amplitude in general. This result was supported by Cooperative-Forking-Path analysis. In contrast, a preregistered latent growth model with categorical variables revealed that anxious arousal was a negative predictor of the NoGo N2 intercept and a positive predictor of the NoGo N2 slope. Non-preregistered growth models, allowing for correlations of anxious apprehension with anxious arousal, revealed that higher anxious apprehension scores were associated with more negative NoGo N2 amplitudes with increased relaxation. Results are discussed in the context of the compensatory error monitoring hypothesis and the revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory

Cognitive processes during lying about plans/intentions: An ERP study

The planned study investigates cognitive processes during lies about plans/intentions. More precisely, an ERP study will be conducted analyzing the amplitude of the Late Positive component (LPC, also known as P300) and the amplitude of the Medial Frontal Negativity (MFN). Johnson et al. (2008) as well as Scheuble and Beauducel (2020a) already found that lies about attitudes were accompanied by stronger cognitive control processes and conflicts: More negative MFN and suppressed LPC/P300 amplitudes occurred for lies about attitudes compared to honest responses. In the planned study we investigate whether these effects also occur for lies vs. honest responses about plans/intentions (e.g. whether participants want to have children, get married, learn surfing, plan to graduate). Johnson, R., Henkell, H., Simon, E., & Zhu, J. (2008). The self in conflict: The role of executive processes during truthful and deceptive responses about attitudes. NeuroImage, 39(1), 469–482. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2007.08.032 Scheuble, V., & Beauducel, A. (2020a). Cognitive processes during deception about attitudes revisited: a replication study. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 15(8), 839–848. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsaa10

Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis and higher-level scores of interpersonal problems with circumplex structure

Difficulties in interpersonal behavior are often measured by the circumplex-based Inventory of Interpersonal Problems. Its eight scales can be represented by a three-factor structure with two circumplex factors, Dominance and Love, and a general problem factor, Distress. Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis is well-suited to evaluate the higher-level structure of interpersonal problems because circumplex loading priors allow for data-driven adjustments and a more flexible investigation of the ideal circumplex pattern than maximum likelihood confirmatory factor analysis. Using a nonclinical sample from an online questionnaire study (N = 822), we replicated the three-factor structure of the IIP by maximum likelihood and Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis and found great proximity of the Bayesian loadings to perfect circumplexity. We also investigated higher-level scores for Dominance, Love, and Distress using traditional regression factor scores, posterior mean factor scores from Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis, and weighted sum scores. We found excellent reliability (with Rtt ≥ .90) for Dominance, Love, and Distress for all scoring methods. We found high congruence of the higher-level scores with the underlying factors and good circumplex properties of the scoring models. The correlation pattern with external measures – Agreeableness, Extraversion, and Neuroticism from the Big Five and subclinical grandiose narcissism – were in line with theoretical expectations. We encourage the use of Bayesian modeling when dealing with circumplex structure and recommend the use of higher-level scores for interpersonal problems as parsimonious, reliable, and valid measures

Bayesian and Maximum-Likelihood Modeling and Higher-Level Scores of Interpersonal Problems With Circumplex Structure

Difficulties in interpersonal behavior are often measured by the circumplex-based Inventory of Interpersonal Problems. Its eight scales can be represented by a three-factor structure with two circumplex factors, Dominance and Love, and a general problem factor, Distress. Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis is well-suited to evaluate the higher-level structure of interpersonal problems because circumplex loading priors allow for data-driven adjustments and a more flexible investigation of the ideal circumplex pattern than conventional maximum likelihood confirmatory factor analysis. Using a non-clinical sample from an online questionnaire study (N = 822), we replicated the three-factor structure of the IIP by maximum likelihood and Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis and found great proximity of the Bayesian loadings to perfect circumplexity. We found additional support for the validity of the three-factor model of the IIP by including external criteria-Agreeableness, Extraversion, and Neuroticism from the Big Five and subclinical grandiose narcissism-in the analysis. We also investigated higher-level scores for Dominance, Love, and Distress using traditional regression factor scores and weighted sum scores. We found excellent reliability (with Rtt ≥ 0.90) for Dominance, Love, and Distress for the two scoring methods. We found high congruence of the higher-level scores with the underlying factors and good circumplex properties of the scoring models. The correlational pattern with the external measures was in line with theoretical expectations and similar to the results from the factor analysis. We encourage the use of Bayesian modeling when dealing with circumplex structure and recommend the use of higher-level scores for interpersonal problems as parsimonious, reliable, and valid measures.</jats:p