To date research has not investigated the accuracy of deception judgments across racial groups. Nevertheless, analyzing lie detection across racial lines would significantly enhance our knowledge of intergroup dynamics, especially in those context where racial disparities are likely to occur. In a series of unpublished studies, Trifiletti, Pedrazza, and Vezzali (2015), using a job interview paradigm, found that White participants were less accurate when judging Black targets compared to White targets (cross-race accuracy bias, CRAB). This research proposal aims to extend the initial evidence provided by Trifiletti et al. (2015) with four studies. Study 1 will examine information processing of ingroup and outgroup targets (reliance on subjective and objective cues to deception) as a possible underlying mechanism of the CRAB effect. Study 2 will test the reliability of CRAB with a different target group (Asians) and with participants of minority groups (Asians and Blacks). In Study 3, we will analyze the generalizability to other experimental paradigms and the moderation effect of negative stereotypes. Study 4 will test the effectiveness of a recategorization intervention for the reduction of CRAB.
By bringing together two fields of social psychology (lie detection and intergroup relations) this research proposal provides a relevant and innovative contribution that will have a significant impact on the international literature.
