Credible testimony in and out of court.
Assessing informants' credibility is critical to several aspects of the legal process (e.g., when police interrogate suspects or jurors evaluate witnesses). There is a large body of research--from various areas of psychology and allied fields--about how people evaluate each others' credibility. We review the literature on lie detection and interpersonal perception to demonstrate that inferences regarding credibility may be multiply determined. Specifically, characteristics of the informant, of the listener, and of the situation affect people's perceptions of informants' credibility. We conclude with a discussion of research on calibration (i.e., an informant's confidence-accuracy relation) because it offers fruitful avenues for future credibility research in the legal domain.
Spellman
Barbara A
BA
Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4400, USA. spellman@virginia.edu
Tenney
Elizabeth R
ER
D003415:Crime; D008192:Deception; D044707:Forensic Sciences / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007603:Jurisprudence; D008014:Lie Detection / Q000523:psychology; D009633:Nonverbal Communication; D011584:Psychology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012938:Social Perception; D013060:Speech; D035502:Trust / Q000523:psychology*
Law Hum Behav. 2008 Aug;32(4):339-51
17690956
Psychon Bull Rev. 2010 Apr;17(2):174-9
20382916
Psychol Sci. 2007 Jan;18(1):46-50
17362377
Pers Soc Psychol Rev. 2006;10(3):214-34
16859438
J Appl Psychol. 2004 Feb;89(1):137-49
14769126
J Pers Soc Psychol. 1987 Jul;53(1):53-60
3612493
Psychol Bull. 2008 Jul;134(4):477-92
18605814
Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2007 Apr;33(4):559-71
17363764
J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn. 1993 Jul;19(4):851-61
8345327
Psychon Bull Rev. 2010 Apr;17(2):143-8
20382911
Law Hum Behav. 2002 Oct;26(5):469-80
12412493
Dev Psychol. 2011 Jul;47(4):1065-77
21443337
Am Psychol. 1991 Sep;46(9):913-20
1958011
Psychol Bull. 2003 Jan;129(1):74-118
12555795
J Pers Soc Psychol. 1989 May;56(5):669-79
2724064
Pers Soc Psychol Rev. 1997;1(4):346-57
15661668
J Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 2009;37(1):63-74
19297636