ABSTRACT

False denial is a deceptive strategy that requires fewer cognitive resources than other strategies (e.g. simulating amnesia, fabrication). In the present experiment, we examined the effects of different types of false denials varying in cognitive load on memory. Participants (N = 159) watched a video (theft) and then answered some questions about it. Some participants had to tell the truth about the theft, while others were either asked to falsely deny all the event-related details (i.e. simple false denial) or to falsely deny just some details of the same event (i.e. complex false denial). After two days, all participants completed a memory task in which they truthfully recognized whether details were (i) discussed during the interview or (ii) seen in the video. Additionally, recall scores (i.e. correct details, omissions, commissions) of the memory for the event were assessed. Participants who falsely denied all details reported a higher memory impairment for the interview than the other groups. Interestingly, liars who were engaged in complex denying had the largest memory impairment for the event and reported more commissions than those in the simple false denial group. This experiment shows that under certain conditions, memory is increasingly impaired for high cognitive load lies.

摘要

虚假否认是一种欺骗性策略，比其他策略（例如模拟健忘症、捏造）需要更少的认知资源。在本实验中，我们检查了不同类型的错误否认对记忆的认知负荷的影响。参与者 ( N = 159）观看了一个视频（盗窃），然后回答了一些关于它的问题。一些参与者必须说出盗窃的真相，而其他参与者则被要求错误地否认所有与事件相关的细节（即简单的错误否认）或错误地否认同一事件的某些细节（即复杂的错误否认）。两天后，所有参与者都完成了一项记忆任务，他们如实地识别了细节是 (i) 在采访中讨论的还是 (ii) 在视频中看到的。此外，还评估了事件记忆的回忆分数（即正确的细节、遗漏、佣金）。与其他组相比，错误否认所有细节的参与者在采访中报告了更高的记忆障碍。有趣的是，参与复杂否认的说谎者对该事件的记忆障碍最大，并且报告的佣金比简单虚假否认组的骗子多。这个实验表明，在某些条件下，对于高认知负荷的谎言，记忆力越来越受损。