Verbal Lie Detection Tools

Abstract

This chapter discusses three verbal veracity assessment tools: Statement Validity Assessment (SVA), Reality Monitoring (RM) and Scientific Content Analysis (SCAN). SVA is the most frequently researched verbal veracity tool to date and also frequently used in daily life as SVA assessments are used as evidence in criminal courts in several European countries. RM is, to our knowledge, never used in real life but it is popular amongst scholars, perhaps because it has a solid theoretical background. Conversely, SCAN is very popular in the field but has hardly been researched. This chapter provides outlines of the three tools including their theoretical rationales and their ability to discriminate between truth tellers and liars. The final section of this chapter compares the three tools by using the set of guidelines provided by the United States Supreme Court for admitting expert scientific evidence in (American) federal courts. These guidelines give a good opportunity to summarize the key aspects of the tools, the extent to which they have been examined and the empirical and academic support each. Both the empirical and academic support appears to be stronger for SVA and RM than for SCAN.