Detecting deception through reaction times

Reaction times (RTs) are among the oldest measures in psychology, and remain popular in several psychology disciplines. However, they have been largely neglected as a cue for deception, reflecting the sceptic's view that RTs fall under voluntary control and are easily manipulated. From our review of the literature, we draw tentative conclusions on when RTs may provide a valid cue for deception. A growing body of research suggests that there are at least two paradigms that show promise for deception detection: The RT-based Concealed Information Test (RT-CIT) and the autobiographical Implicit Association Test (aIAT). Whereas its applicability is restricted, a key strength of the RT-CIT is its low false positive rate. An attractive feature of the aIAT is its broad applicability, yet subtle design features can heavily impact its validity. These findings point to the potential of the two RT tests, but need to be extended by studies conducted under field-like circumstances.