TY - JOUR
T1 - A lie and a mistress: On increasing the believability of your alibi
AU - Nieuwkamp, R.
AU - Horselenberg, R.
AU - van Koppen, P.J.
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - The present study was designed to assess whether or not the presentation method and the salaciousness of an alibi affect its evaluation. Community participants (n = 150) were asked to evaluate the salacious or non-salacious alibi of a crime suspect. The alibi was either presented immediately after arrest by the suspect or was changed after the initial alibi turned out to be incorrect. The incorrect alibi was due to either a misrecollection or a deliberate lie. We found that when the initial alibi was changed into a salacious one, the believability increased. This effect was larger when the initial alibi was a lie than when it was a misrecollection. The results of the present study demonstrate that, contrary to common belief, a changed salacious alibi can lead to an increase in alibi believability.
AB - The present study was designed to assess whether or not the presentation method and the salaciousness of an alibi affect its evaluation. Community participants (n = 150) were asked to evaluate the salacious or non-salacious alibi of a crime suspect. The alibi was either presented immediately after arrest by the suspect or was changed after the initial alibi turned out to be incorrect. The incorrect alibi was due to either a misrecollection or a deliberate lie. We found that when the initial alibi was changed into a salacious one, the believability increased. This effect was larger when the initial alibi was a lie than when it was a misrecollection. The results of the present study demonstrate that, contrary to common belief, a changed salacious alibi can lead to an increase in alibi believability.
U2 - 10.1080/13218719.2016.1142934
DO - 10.1080/13218719.2016.1142934
M3 - Article
SN - 1321-8719
VL - 23
JO - Psychiatry, Psychology and Law
JF - Psychiatry, Psychology and Law
ER -
