Change in suspect's memory as a result of deception

One hundred and eight participants either stole or replaced a stolen exam key from a professor's office. Half of the participants were instructed to respond honestly and to help with an investigation; the other half were instructed to distort their statement so they were not implicated. Participants did not know whether they would be asked to lie or report honestly during their time in the professor's office. After completing the task, participants again met with a research assistant, who instructed them whether to lie or respond honestly at a one-week follow-up. After the interview, participants completed a Likert-type post-event questionnaire. Deceivers reported significantly more anxiety and motivation not to get caught while in the office, even though there were no differences in the instructions given to the two groups until after participants left the office. Therefore, the act of deception changed their memory for their time in the office. This is important theoretically because it suggests that forming a lie script could be akin to other memories for counterfactual thinking. Practically, it is important to note that a deceptive perpetrator or detainee may never be able to actually provide an accurate account. Copyright 2011 American Journal of Forensic Psychology.