Content in Context Improves Deception Detection Accuracy

Past research has shown that people are only slightly better than chance at distinguishing truths from lies. Higher accuracy rates, however, are possible when contextual knowledge is used to judge the veracity of situated message content. The utility of content in context was shown in a series of experiments with students (N = 26, 45, 51, 25, 127) and experts (N = 66). Across studies, average accuracy was 75% in the content in context groups compared with 57% in the controls. These results demonstrate the importance of situating judges within a meaningful context and have important implications for deception theory.     

Emotional memory for words: Separating content and context

We developed a technique to examine the effects of emotional content and context on verbal memory. Two sets of sentences were devised: in the first, each sentence was emotionally arousing due to the inclusion of an emotional “target” word. In the second set, “targets” were replaced with well-matched neutral words. Subjects read aloud a selection of emotional and neutral sentences, and were then surprised with memory tasks after a range of time delays. Emotional target words were remembered significantly better than neutral words in all experiments. Recognition of emotional words was relatively stable despite increasing delays between encoding and recognition testing, in contrast to memory for neutral words, which decayed over time. Memory for neutral non-target words was enhanced when words had been presented in an emotional context. The results confirm the phenomenon of emotional enhancement of memory at short and long delays and suggest that emotional context may be encoded independently of word meaning.     

Is avoidance of illness uncertainty associated with distress during oncology treatment? A daily diary study

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the daily relationship between illness uncertainty, avoidance of uncertainty, well-being and treatment-related distress among patients with cancer receiving treatment with curative intent. It was hypothesised that daily illness uncertainty, daily avoidance of uncertainty and daily treatment-related distress would be negatively associated with daily well-being. It was also hypothesised that daily illness uncertainty and daily avoidance of uncertainty would be positively associated with daily treatment-related distress.

Design: Thirty-one patients receiving oncology treatment with curative intent completed a daily diary for seven consecutive days. Data were analysed using multilevel modelling.

Main outcome measures: Daily illness uncertainty, avoidance of illness uncertainty, treatment-related distress and well-being.

Results: As hypothesised, on days when patients with cancer reported heightened treatment-related distress they experienced diminished well-being. And on days when patients reported more experiential avoidance of illness uncertainty, they also experienced heightened levels of treatment-related distress. No other daily associations were significant.

Conclusion: These findings indicate that patients with cancer experience day-to-day fluctuations in distress and well-being throughout oncology treatment. Avoidance of illness uncertainty-related thoughts and/or emotions are associated with daily distress, but not daily well-being.