Haneen Deeb

Haneen Deeb is a Senior Research Associate at the University of Portsmouth, where she earned her Ph.D. examining inconsistencies as cues to deception from the University of Gothenburg. She previously completed an M.A. at the American University of Beirut studying the role of pre-identification warnings in the post-identification feedback effect. Her doctoral research examined various interview techniques that enhance lie detection in forensic contexts, with a specific focus on interview techniques that elicit differences in statement consistency between lie tellers and truth tellers.

Deeb continues to examine novel interview techniques and their effects on the elicitation of verbal cues, with particular interest in sketch-based interviews and opinion-based interviews on different types of details such as PLATO details and complications. She has made significant contributions to research on deception detection methods including the Model Statement technique, sketching while narrating, and verbal cues to deception. Her work has demonstrated that sketching while narrating is an effective interview technique for eliciting information and cues to deceit. Most recently, she co-authored a 2025 article on the Strategic Use of Evidence (SUE) technique in European Polygraph, examining how this scientific interrogation method enhances deception detection accuracy in forensic contexts.

Deeb's research has been cited over 532 times, reflecting her growing influence in the field of investigative interviewing and lie detection. She works closely with leading deception detection researchers including Aldert Vrij, Sharon Leal, and Samantha Mann at Portsmouth, forming part of a prolific research team. Her collaborative work includes helping with statistical analyses and methodological development on multiple projects funded by the Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats. She serves as a peer reviewer for multiple journals in the field, contributing to the quality control of deception detection research.

Deeb's work bridges cognitive psychology, forensic psychology, and investigative practice. Her research examines how memory processes and cognitive load affect truthful versus deceptive statements, with applications extending from police investigations to security screening and intelligence gathering. She has investigated specialized topics including multiple interviews, omission lies, verbal veracity cues, and the effects of interpreters on deception detection, making her research relevant to both domestic and international investigative contexts.