Detecting concealed information using brain-imaging technology.
Many conventional techniques for revealing concealed information have focused on detecting whether a person is responding truthfully to specific questions, typically using some form of lie detector. However, lie detection has faced a number of criticisms and it is still unclear to what degree conventional lie detectors can be used to reveal concealed knowledge in applied real-world settings. Here, we review the key problems with conventional lie-detection technology and critically discuss the potential of novel techniques that aim to directly read concealed mental states out of patterns of brain activity.
Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Charite--Universitatsmedizin, Berlin, Germany. mart.bles@bccn-berlin.de
Mart
M
Bles
John-Dylan
JD
Haynes
D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D008192:Deception; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008014:Lie Detection / Q000523:psychology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis