Tripp Driskell

Social Indicators of Deception

Objective: This study addresses a practical homeland security issue of considerable current concern: In a situation in which the opportunity exists to question or interview concurrently two or more suspects, how does one determine truth or deception at a social level? Background: Recent world events have led to an increased emphasis on the capacity to detect deception, especially in military, security, and law enforcement settings. In many screening or checkpoint situations, the opportunity exists to question two or more suspects regarding their involvement in some activity, yet investigators know very little regarding characteristics of speech or behavior that are exhibited between two suspects that indicate truth or deception. Method: We conducted an empirical study in which pairs of police officers and firefighters who had served together as partners took part. In the “truth” conditions, each dyad described a recent event in which they had actually taken part, and in the “deceptive” conditions, each dyad fabricated a story that did not take place. We expected that the officers in the truth-telling dyads would be able to draw on shared or transactive memory of the actual event they had participated in and would describe this event in a more interactive manner than would those in deceptive dyads. Results: Results indicated greater evidence of synchrony of behavior as well as more interactive behaviors, such as mutual gaze and speech transitions, in truthful dyads than in deceptive dyads. Conclusion: This research provides a unique perspective on detecting deception in a social context, and the results have both theoretical and practical value. Application: These results can inform training programs and refine strategies used by screeners in field settings.

A Conceptual Review of Emergent State Measurement Current Problems, Future Solutions

Team research increasingly incorporates emergent states as an integral mediator between team inputs and outcomes. In conjunction with this, we have witnessed a proliferation and fragmentation of measurement techniques associated with emergent states. This inconsistency in measurement presents a problem for scientists and practitioners alike. For the scientist, it becomes difficult to better understand the nature and effects of various emergent states on team processes and outcomes. For the practitioner, it complicates the process of measurement development, selection, and implementation. To address these issues, we review the literature on emergent states focusing on various measurement strategies, to better unpack best practices. In so doing, we highlight existing research that suggests innovative solutions to the conceptual, methodological, and logistical problems that consistently plague emergent state research. Our aim is to enhance emergent state theory by applying psychometric principles to the measurement techniques associated with them.

Mitigating Stress Effects on Team Cohesion

Abstract Teams do not operate in a vacuum, but in specific real-world contexts. For many teams, this context includes high-demand, high-stress conditions which can negatively impact team functioning. In this chapter, we discuss how stress may impact team cohesion and examine stress mitigation strategies to overcome these effects.

Team Roles: A Review and Integration:

The concept of roles is ubiquitous in the social sciences, and a number of scholars have examined the operation of roles in task teams. In fact, this research has resulted in a seemingly unlimited number of roles that have been described as relevant to team performance. In this study, we attempt to integrate this research by deriving a model that describes three primary behavioral dimensions that underlie team role behavior: (a) dominance, (b) sociability, and (c) task orientation. Based on this model, we conduct a cluster analysis of the 154 team roles described in previous research. We identify 13 primary team role clusters, and discuss the implications of this approach for gaining further insight into team role structure and performance. We believe this is one step toward speaking a common language in discussing team roles.

Conducting Applied Experimental Research

Abstract Applied experimental research is experimental research that applies or extends theory to an identified real-world problem with a practical outcome in mind. In this chapter, we distinguish applied experimental research from more basic theoretical research, discuss the linkages between basic and applied research, and describe practical considerations in conducting applied experimental research.

Reducing the Effects of Game Day Pressures through Stress Exposure Training

There is a truism that “you play the way you train,” and like most bits of folk wisdom, this has an element of truth. When most baseball batters train, they hit soft pitches, work in a batting cage, and hit during batting practice, typically in a controlled setting with little to no stress. The problem is that most training takes place without systematic attention to preparing for game day demands, such as the heightened demands of actual competition, game day distractions, and other stressors present in the game day context. The purpose of this article is to describe a stress exposure training approach to prepare players to maintain effective performance under high demands. We discuss the implications of this approach for sports training.

Lexicon as a Predictor of Team Dynamics

Abstract Purpose The reliance on teams in today’s work environment underscores the importance of understanding how teams function. To better understand teams, one must be able to measure team dynamics or interaction. The purpose of this chapter is to outline an unobtrusive approach to measuring team dynamics from verbal communications. Methodology The basic premise of this approach is that the words we use provide insight into how we feel and think at any given time. The methodology described in this chapter employs a lexical analytic approach to examining team dynamics. To best accomplish this, we first identify the principal features or dimensions of teamwork and then we propose lexical measures that may map to these processes. Practical implications This approach can be employed to track team functioning over time “at a distance” without interrupting task performance. Originality This chapter describes an approach to measuring relevant teamwork dimensions through verbal content. This approach has the potential to give us direct, unobtrusive insight into the emotional and cognitive states of teams. It is original in its examination of how team dynamics can be indexed in speech.

Service for Equipage Impact Assessment

One aspect of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) is using datalink communications rather than voice. To encourage aircraft owners and operators to invest in the technology necessary for datalink, the FAA has proposed switching from a “first-come, first-served” to “best-equipped, best-served” air traffic management strategy (Federal Aviation Administration, 2009). The purpose of this study was to present the datalink concept and the “service for equipage” strategy to current stakeholders and to elicit their opinions on the matter. Eight current air traffic controllers, two pilots, and one Airline Operations Center dispatcher were presented with four scenarios to discuss in a focus group. The results indicated several conditions under which controllers would use datalink.

Foundations of teamwork and collaboration.

The term teamwork has graced countless motivational posters and office walls. However, although teamwork is often easy to observe, it is somewhat more difficult to describe and yet more difficult to produce. At a broad level, teamwork is the process through which team members collaborate to achieve task goals. Teamwork refers to the activities through which team inputs translate into team outputs such as team effectiveness and satisfaction. In this article, we describe foundational research underlying current research on teamwork. We examine the evolution of team process models and outline primary teamwork dimensions. We discuss selection, training, and design approaches to enhancing teamwork, and note current applications of teamwork research in real-world settings.

The Language of Lies A Content Analytic Approach

Past research on deception detection has demonstrated the diagnostic value of attending to verbal content (e.g., message content) over nonverbal cues (e.g., gaze aversion; Vrij, 2008). Moreover, research has also demonstrated the value of computer-based text analysis programs for distinguishing truthful from deceptive communications (Hauch, Masip, Blandon-Gitlin, & Sporer, 2012). The aim of this research is to add to the corpus of studies examining linguistic features of deceptive communications by comparing existing linguistic models (e.g., Newman, Pennebaker, Berry, & Richards, 2003) to our own approach. Based on our model, the results demonstrated that lies contain more affective words, are less detailed, and are more uncertain. Implications are discussed.