Impression and Information Management: On the Strategic Self- Regulation of Innocent and Guilty Suspects

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to increase understanding of the psychology of deception by mapping the reasoning of guilty and innocent mock suspects who deny a transgression. Based on previous research, we proposed that suspects will engage in two major forms of regulation: impression management, which requires the purposeful control of nonverbal and demeanor cues; and information management which involves the regulation and manipulation of speech content to provide a statement of denial. We predicted that truth tellers and liars would both be engaged in impression management, but that that they would differ in the extent to which they will engage in information management. The results supported this prediction: liars and truth tellers reported planning demeanor to the same extent, but differed in the extent to which they reported planning the content of their statement. Self-reported strategies regarding nonverbal behavior were similar for liars and truth tellers, while strategies regarding information differed markedly.