Scientific Content Analysis (SCAN) Cannot Distinguish Between Truthful and Fabricated Accounts of a Negative Event

Glynis Bogaard; Ewout H. Meijer; Aldert Vrij; Harald Merckelbach

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00243

Scientific Content Analysis (SCAN) Cannot Distinguish Between Truthful and Fabricated Accounts of a Negative Event

Glynis Bogaard^*, Ewout H. Meijer, Aldert Vrij, Harald Merckelbach

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

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Abstract

The Scientific Content Analysis (SCAN) is a verbal veracity assessment method that is currently used worldwide by investigative authorities. Yet, research investigating the accuracy of SCAN is scarce. The present study tested whether SCAN was able to accurately discriminate between true and fabricated statements. To this end, 117 participants were asked to write down one true and one fabricated statement about a recent negative event that happened in their lives. All statements were analyzed using 11 criteria derived from SCAN. Results indicated that SCAN was not able to correctly classify true and fabricated statements. Lacking empirical support, the application of SCAN in its current form should be discouraged.

Original language	English
Article number	243
Journal	Frontiers in Psychology
Volume	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00243
Publication status	Published - 25 Feb 2016

Keywords

deception detection
scan
Scientific Content Analysis
Lie Detection
verbal cues
verbal credibility assessment

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10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00243Licence: CC BY

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Cite this

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abstract = "The Scientific Content Analysis (SCAN) is a verbal veracity assessment method that is currently used worldwide by investigative authorities. Yet, research investigating the accuracy of SCAN is scarce. The present study tested whether SCAN was able to accurately discriminate between true and fabricated statements. To this end, 117 participants were asked to write down one true and one fabricated statement about a recent negative event that happened in their lives. All statements were analyzed using 11 criteria derived from SCAN. Results indicated that SCAN was not able to correctly classify true and fabricated statements. Lacking empirical support, the application of SCAN in its current form should be discouraged.",

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