Dichotomous and continuous views of deception: A reexamination of deception ratings in information manipulation theory

Several recent theoretical approaches, including Information Manipulation Theory (IMT), propose that deceptive messages are best understood as varying along two or more dimensions. At the same time, researchers have increasingly moved from dichotomous deception judgments to continuous deception ratings. This paper questions the validity of scaling degrees of deceptiveness along a single dimension, and argues that gradations in message features do not necessarily translate into degrees of deceit. Most conceptual definitions of deception treat deception as a binary construct, and the continuous scaling of perceptions of deceptiveness may confound perceptions of measure features, degrees of moral condemnation, and judgmental confidence with perceptions of deception. A study (N = 194) is reported that replicates previous tests of IMT with both continuous and dichotomous measures of deception. The results show that the data remain consistent with IMT when dichotomous judgments are examined. However, comparing the results from dichotomous and continuous measures, and examining of the distributions of continuous deception ratings qualify previous IMT findings. The implications for measuring deception are discussed.     

The accurate reporting of software‐generated p‐values: A cautionary research note

Quantitatively oriented researchers differ in how they report the results of tests of statistical significance. Some authors report statistically significant results as less than an alpha level (e.g., p < .05), while others report exact p‐values (p = .04) from statistical software readouts. This paper argues that three reporting errors are possible when p‐values are reported based on computer readouts. First, the p‐value of obtained data can never be equal to, or less than, zero. Thus, reporting that a finding is p = .000 is an error. Second, rounding down errors can lead to factual inaccuracies. For example, it is inaccurate to report a p = .052 as p < .05. Finally, p‐values for wrong‐direction effects with one‐tailed tests must always be p> .50. Awareness of these issues should facilitate accurate statistical reporting.     

Assessing Deception Detection Accuracy with Dichotomous Truth–Lie Judgments and Continuous Scaling: Are People Really More Accurate When Honesty Is Scaled?

Deception detection experiments consistently find that people are only slightly better than chance at distinguishing truths from lies. Interpersonal deception theory research, however, claims that people can accurately detect deception when honesty is assessed with continuous scaling. This article reports an experiment (N = 140) directly testing if the type of measurement meaningfully impacts accuracy results and conclusions. The findings suggest that the difference is largely illusory, and that the differences that are observed are attributable to differential variances in the measures. Substantively, both methods yield similar conclusions including slightly better-than-chance accuracy, persistent truth bias, and a robust veracity effect.     

Statistical Conclusions Validity Basics: Probability and How Type 1 and Type 2 Errors Obscure the Interpretation of Findings in Communication Research Literatures

Statistical conclusions validity refers to the degree to which we make correct statistical inferences from the analysis of data. The conventional use of null hypothesis significance tests to evaluate scientific hypotheses, coupled with the editorial practices of scholarly journals, lead to probabilistic error rates. The net result is “mixed support” in the literature for most hypotheses, regardless of the merit of the hypothesis. This article outlines the mechanisms at play and offers helpful solutions.     

Lie Acceptability: A Construct and Measure

People likely hold different opinions about deceptive communication. Lie acceptability refers to an individual's attitude about deceptive communication. A self-report measure of lie acceptability was updated and refined, and preliminary data (N = 312) consistent with validity were reported. CFA indicated acceptable fit to the a priori unidimensional model. As anticipated, the lie acceptability scale was positively related to narcissism and negatively associated with religiosity. The scale also predicted likelihood of use ratings of equivocal messages, deceptive omissions, and outright lies. An anticipated sex difference, however, was not replicated. The potential utility of the scale in communication research is discussed.     

Introducing Case Management to Students in a Virtual World: An Exploratory Study

This paper discusses a small, exploratory study introducing students to case management using role-plays conducted in a virtual world. Data from pre- and posttest questionnaires (to assess self-efficacy regarding a range of case management tasks) suggest students felt more confident in their abilities after virtual role-play participation. Also discussed is preparing students for learning in a virtual world, some best practices to consider when developing virtual world experience, and larger contextual issues of increased broadband access to avoid exacerbating educational disparities.     

Emotion Regulation Strategies That Promote Learning: Reappraisal Enhances Children’s Memory for Educational Information

The link between emotion regulation and academic achievement is well documented. Less is known about specific emotion regulation strategies that promote learning. Six‐ to 13‐year‐olds (N = 126) viewed a sad film and were instructed to reappraise the importance, reappraise the outcome, or ruminate about the sad events; another group received no regulation instructions. Children viewed an educational film, and memory for this was later assessed. As predicted, reappraisal strategies more effectively attenuated children’s self‐reported emotional processing. Reappraisal enhanced memory for educational details relative to no instructions. Rumination did not lead to differences in memory from the other instructions. Memory benefits of effective instructions were pronounced for children with poorer emotion regulation skill, suggesting the utility of reappraisal in learning contexts.     

How the structure and focus of teachers' collaborative activities facilitate and constrain teacher learning

What kinds of teacher collaboration are most likely to improve what teachers—and, ultimately, students—learn during their time in school? This study looks within and across different collaborative activities that occurred among one teacher team. Observational data analyzed through a sociocultural theoretical framework suggest how the structure and intended focus of collaborative activity can influence (1) how often and how concretely teachers discuss their teaching with colleagues; (2) which aspects of schooling collaboration will address; and (3) what opportunities for teacher learning are afforded and constrained. Intentionally focusing and structuring teachers' collaborative activity can improve its impact on schooling.     

Investigating Primary Source Literacy

Primary source research requires students to acquire specialized research skills. This paper presents results from a user study testing the effectiveness of a Web guide designed to convey the concepts behind “primary source literacy”. The study also evaluated students' strengths and weaknesses when conducting primary source research.