Can Reality Monitoring Criteria Distinguish Between True and False Intentions?

The current study examines the potential for the verbal deception detection tool reality monitoring (RM) to distinguish between statements of true and false intentions. Truth tellers (n = 50) honestly described a future trip they were to go on. Liars (n = 50) described a future trip that they claimed, but were in fact not, to go on. Their statements were subsequently coded according to twelve RM criteria. Six of the criteria virtually never occurred in either truthful or deceptive statements. The remaining six criteria showed on average a substantial difference between truth tellers and liars (average Hedges’ g = 0.84). However, a closer examination indicates that this effect was driven largely by four RM criteria (cognitive operations, clarity, reconstructability, and realism). These four criteria could form the starting point in the development of a credibility assessment tool tailored to distinguish between true and false intentions.