Investigating credibility cues when individuals lie or tell the truth about a surveillance mission.
The experiment examines how people lie or tell the truth when asked to complete a surveillance mission.
Study Description
You will be asked to imagine that you are a new surveillance officer for the government. You will be given a surveillance mission locally in ÃÛèÖÍø and will have to try and do this without the ‘target of interest’ being aware you are following them. You will then be interviewed regarding what you experienced and witnessed during the surveillance mission you were on. Depending on the condition you are allocated to, you will either recall truthfully what happened or you will be required to lie about some aspects in an interview.
After completing the surveillance mission, you will be asked to complete a short pre-interview questionnaire and be given as much time as you like to prepare for the interview. The interview will be held in King Henry building and will be audio recorded and later transcribed.
After the interview has finished you will be given a post-interview questionnaire to complete before being debriefed.
What will participants be doing?
Participants will be given a surveillance mission locally in ÃÛèÖÍø to follow a ‘target of interest’ without the latter becoming aware that they are being followed. After the mission is completed, the participant will return to King Henry building for the interview. The experimenter will inform participants if they have to lie or tell the truth about the mission. Participants will complete a questionnaire before and after the interview.
Duration
90 minutes.
Apply
If you are interested in taking part in this study please contact Haneen Deeb at haneen.deeb@port.ac.uk. Any questions should be directed to Haneen Deeb at haneen.deeb@port.ac.uk.
Participant characteristics:
- the surveillance task will involve following a target of interest and as such, keeping up with them. This could feasibly present difficulties for participants with reduced mobility.
- staff, students and the general public.
- any gender.
- aged 18+
Reward
You will be paid £20 for your time.
If the interviewer believes that you are telling the truth, you will be entered in a cash draw to win one of five prizes worth £100. Additionally, if the target is not aware that they were followed, you will be entered into a draw for the ‘best surveillance officer’ whereby you can win one of five prizes worth £100.
Location
King Henry Building, Department of Psychology, ÃÛèÖÍø, ÃÛèÖÍø PO1 2DY.
Closing date for applications
13 July 2025