The concealed information test as an instrument of applied differential psychophysiology: methodological considerations.

In this interpretative paper, I consider four sets of methodological issues that may be relevant to improving the concealed information test (CIT) as an instrument of applied differential psychophysiology. The first set has to do with psychophysiological measurement in the CIT (e.g., specific sensitivity testing in lab vs. field). Secondly, I consider the relationships between the psychological process of deception and the CIT. Thirdly, I consider the problem of laboratory-to-field generalization of the CIT, a consideration that includes a discussion of whether the lab/field differences are merely quantitative or actually qualitative. Finally, I discuss theories concerning the hypothetical mechanisms underlying the CIT, and argue that while the purely cognitive, Sokolovian, orienting response (OR) account is widely accepted as the sole mechanism, there is evidence to suggest that not just motivational, but even emotional mechanisms are also relevant.