I my talk I will give an overview of recent research on deception and concealed information detection. I will start with a short introduction on the problems and shortcomings of traditional deception detection tools and why those still prevail in many recent approaches (e.g., in AI-based deception detection). I want to argue for the importance of more fundamental deception research and give some examples for insights gained therefrom. In the second part of the talk, I will introduce the Concealed Information Test (CIT), a promising paradigm for research and applied contexts to investigate whether someone actually recognizes information that they do not want to reveal. The CIT is based on solid scientific theory and produces large effects sizes in laboratory studies with a number of different measures (e.g., behavioral, psychophysiological, and neural measures). I will highlight some challenges a forensic application of the CIT still faces and how scientific research could assist in overcoming those.

The integrated conflict monitoring theory of Botvinick introduced cognitive demand into conflict monitoring research. We investigated effects of individual differences of cognitive demand and another determinant of conflict monitoring entitled reinforcement sensitivity on conflict monitoring. We showed evidence of differential variability of conflict monitoring intensity using the electroencephalogram (EEG), functional magnet resonance imaging (fMRI) and behavioral data. Our data suggest that individual differences of anxiety and reasoning ability are differentially related to the recruitment of proactive and reactive cognitive control (cf. Braver). Based on previous findings, the team of the Leue-Lab investigated new psychometric data on conflict monitoring and proactive-reactive cognitive control. Moreover, data of the Leue-Lab suggest the relevance of individual differences of conflict monitoring for the context of deception. In this respect, we plan new studies highlighting individual differences of the functioning of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC). Disentangling the role of individual differences in working memory-related cognitive demand, mental effort, and reinforcement-related processes opens new insights for cognitive-motivational approaches of information processing (Passcode to rewatch: 0R8v&m59).