Deception research focusing on cognitive load and withdrawal motivation

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K04513
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Experimental psychology
• Research Institution: Aoyama Gakuin University (2019); National Research Institute of Police Science (2017-2018)
• Principal Investigator: Matsuda Izumi 青山学院大学, 教育人間科学部, 准教授 (80356162)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 入戸野 宏 大阪大学, 人間科学研究科, 教授 (20304371)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 回避動機づけ / 接近動機づけ / 隠蔽 / 事象関連電位 / 潜在連合テスト / 時間知覚

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study investigated whether the intention to conceal recruits withdrawal motivation. In study 1, we measured electrical brain activity and revealed that the intention to conceal was specifically related to a frontal negative slow wave. Its source was estimated in the right prefrontal cortex, which is related to withdrawal motivation. In study 2, we used an implicit association test and examined implicit approach-avoidance tendency to concealed information. Against our expectation, the concealed information was associated with implicit approach tendency. In study 3, we examined time perception while people were concealing something, because withdrawal motivation causes temporal overestimation. Not only the concealed item but also other items in the same block were perceived as longer. Taken together, the intention to conceal information would recruit withdrawal motivation, but the information itself would be related to implicit approach tendency, probably due to its self-relevance.

Free Research Field

心理生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

近年「嘘をつこうとすると認知負荷が増大する」という知見に基づいた欺き研究が行われている。しかし，真実を懸命に伝えようとするときも認知負荷は増大する。認知負荷の増大のみから欺きをとらえるのは不十分である。本研究の成果から，何かを隠そうとすると，接近・回避動機づけの両方が生じる葛藤状態に陥ることが示唆された。今後は，認知負荷だけではなく接近・回避動機づけも考慮して，欺き時の心理過程を研究する必要がある。