title: Scientific Content Analysis (SCAN) Cannot Distinguish Between Truthful and Fabricated Accounts of a Negative Event.
abstract: The Scientific Content Analysis (SCAN) is a verbal veracity assessment method that is currently used worldwide by investigative authorities. Yet, research investigating the accuracy of SCAN is scarce. The present study tested whether SCAN was able to accurately discriminate between true and fabricated statements. To this end, 117 participants were asked to write down one true and one fabricated statement about a recent negative event that happened in their lives. All statements were analyzed using 11 criteria derived from SCAN. Results indicated that SCAN was not able to correctly classify true and fabricated statements. Lacking empirical support, the application of SCAN in its current form should be discouraged.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University Maastricht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Glynis
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bogaard
authors.affiliation: Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University Maastricht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ewout H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Meijer
authors.affiliation: Psychology, University of Portsmouth Portsmouth, UK.
authors.forename: Aldert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vrij
authors.affiliation: Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University Maastricht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Merckelbach
keywords: Lie Detection; Scientific Content Analysis; deception detection; scan; verbal credibility assessment; verbal cues