title: You must be lying because I don't understand you: Language proficiency and lie detection.
abstract: We examined the impact of interviewees' language proficiencies on observers' lie detection performance. Observers (N = 132) were randomly assigned to make deception judgments about interviewees (N = 56) from Four proficiency groups (i.e., native, advanced, intermediate, and beginner English speakers). Discrimination between lie- and truth-tellers was poorest when observers judged beginner English speakers compared to interviewees from any other proficiency group. Observers were also less likely to exhibit a truth-bias toward nonnative than native English speakers. These results suggest that interviewing individuals in their nonnative languages can create inequalities in the justice system. (PsycINFO Database Record
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Social Science and Humanities.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Social Science and Humanities.
authors.forename: Amy-May
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Leach
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D032882:Comprehension / Q000502:physiology*; D008192:Deception; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment / Q000502:physiology; D007802:Language; D008014:Lie Detection / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D019303:Multilingualism; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult