New P300-based protocol to detect concealed information: Resistance to mental countermeasures against only half the irrelevant stimuli and a possible ERP indicator of countermeasures

Abstract

Here, a rare probe or frequent irrelevant stimulus (S1) appeared in the first part of the trial, followed by either a target or nontarget (S2) in the second. Subjects randomly pressed one of five buttons to S1 to signal seeing it. Then they pressed one of two buttons for nontargets or targets. We tested three groups: simple guilty (SG), in which one stimulus was the subject's birth date (Probe); innocent (IN) in which all date stimuli were irrelevant; and Countermeasure (CM), like SG but subjects performed mental CMs to 2 of 4 irrelevants. Bootstrapped-based hit rates in the SG group=100%, based on probe versus all four averaged irrelevants (Iall), or based on probe versus RT-screened maximum irrelevant (Imax). In the IN group there was one false positive (8%, Probe vs. Iall) or none (0%, Probe vs. Imax). In the CM group, 100% were detected based on Probe versus Iall (92% based on Probe vs Imax). A new event-related potential at Fz and Cz at 900 ms indexed CM use.