Lying in the Scanner: Covert Countermeasures Disrupt Deception Detection By Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Neuroimage, Volume 55, 312-319, 2011

8 Pages Posted: 29 Aug 2013

See all articles by Giorgio Ganis

Giorgio Ganis

Harvard University - Harvard Medical School

J. Peter Rosenfeld

Northwestern University - Department of Psychology

John B. Meixner Jr.

University of Georgia School of Law

Rogier Kievit

University of Amsterdam - Department of Psychology

Haline Schendan

Massachusetts General Hospital

Date Written: 2010

Abstract

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have documented differences between deceptive and honest responses. Capitalizing on this research, companies marketing fMRI-based lie detection services have been founded, generating methodological and ethical concerns in scientific and legal communities. Critically, no fMRI study has examined directly the effect of countermeasures, methods used by prevaricators to defeat deception detection procedures. An fMRI study was conducted to fill this research gap using a concealed information paradigm in which participants were trained to use countermeasures. Robust group fMRI differences between deceptive and honest responses were found without, but not with countermeasures. Furthermore, in single participants, deception detection accuracy was 100% without countermeasures, using activation in ventrolateral and medial prefrontal cortices, but fell to 33% with countermeasures. These findings show that fMRI-based deception detection measures can be vulnerable to countermeasures, calling for caution before applying these methods to real-world situations.

Keywords: fMRI, CIT, GKT, Deception

Suggested Citation

Ganis, Giorgio and Rosenfeld, J. Peter and Meixner Jr., John B. and Kievit, Rogier and Schendan, Haline, Lying in the Scanner: Covert Countermeasures Disrupt Deception Detection By Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (2010). Neuroimage, Volume 55, 312-319, 2011, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2316977

Giorgio Ganis (Contact Author)

Harvard University - Harvard Medical School ( email )

25 Shattuck St
Boston, MA 02115
United States

J. Peter Rosenfeld

Northwestern University - Department of Psychology ( email )

Evanston, IL
United States

John B. Meixner Jr.

University of Georgia School of Law ( email )

225 Herty Drive
Athens, GA 30602
United States

Rogier Kievit

University of Amsterdam - Department of Psychology ( email )

Roetersstraat 15
Amsterdam, 1018 WB
Netherlands

Haline Schendan

Massachusetts General Hospital ( email )

55 Fruit Street
Boston, MA 02114
United States

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