Frequent Countermeasure Usage by Narcissistic Examinees in the Concealed Information Test

This study investigated whether narcissistic personality traits and self-assessed deception abilities predict countermeasure usage in the Concealed Information Test. Using a fabricated murder scenario, 241 participants were randomly assigned to conditions crossing guilt status with countermeasure instruction. Narcissistic dimensions and self-assessed lie-telling ability correlated positively with frequent countermeasure use among guilty participants.

Experimental mock-crime study with 241 participants in a 2×2 factorial design (guilty vs. innocent × countermeasure instructions vs. no instructions), measuring narcissism via the NPI, self-assessed abilities via the LTAAS, and countermeasure frequency during CIT administration.

Background & Context

Countermeasures—deliberate attempts by examinees to defeat or distort polygraph tests—represent one of the most significant threats to the validity of the Concealed Information Test (CIT). While extensive research has documented the effectiveness of various countermeasure techniques, far less is known about the psychological characteristics that predispose certain individuals to employ them.

This 2019 study by Elaad and Zvi broke new ground by investigating whether narcissistic personality traits and self-assessed deception abilities predict the frequency with which guilty examinees use countermeasures in the CIT. The research addresses a critical gap: understanding not just whether countermeasures work, but who is most likely to use them—a question with direct implications for examiner vigilance and counter-countermeasure strategies.

The study builds on established links between narcissism and deceptive behavior, as well as prior research showing that individuals who rate themselves as competent liars report more frequent lying and actually do use countermeasures more often. By examining individual differences in countermeasure usage, the research offers a psychological profile of the high-risk examinee.

Research Design & Methodology

The study employed a fabricated murder scenario with 241 participants randomly allocated to four experimental conditions in a 2×2 factorial design, crossing guilt conditions (guilty vs. innocent) with countermeasure conditions (with or without countermeasure instructions). This sophisticated design allowed researchers to isolate both group-level effects and individual personality differences.

The experimental groups consisted of:

• 120 informed guilty participants given the opportunity to use verbal countermeasures by falsely answering "yes" to neutral items, told this frequent lying would confuse the polygraph
• 41 informed guilty participants without countermeasure opportunities, plus two control groups of 40 uninformed innocents each (one with and one without countermeasure instructions)
• A classical control group of 40 uninformed innocents with no countermeasure instructions

Participants selected envelopes containing fabricated murder scenarios, each specifying six crime features (restaurant location, victim name, clothing worn, time, verbal statement, weapon type, and item left behind). All participants completed the 40-item Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) and the 16-question Lie and Truth Ability Assessment Scale (LTAAS), rating abilities on a 0-100 scale with 50 as the midpoint.

Results & Key Findings

Narcissism strongly predicted countermeasure usage. Narcissistic dimensions and self-assessed lie-telling ability correlated positively with frequent use of countermeasures. The headline finding: individuals high in narcissistic traits were significantly more likely to employ deceptive tactics when given the opportunity.

Key psychological correlates included:

• High lie-telling ability ratings correlated positively with total NPI scores and the Grandiose/Exhibitionism subscale—narcissistic individuals who seek compliments and approval view lie-telling as a legitimate means to obtain admiration
• Lie-detection and truth-telling ability assessments correlated positively with the NPI total score and all three narcissistic dimensions
• Participants overestimated lie-detecting, truth-believing, and truth-telling abilities (CI lower bound > midpoint), but not lie-telling ability; truth-telling was rated higher than lie-detecting (d = 0.54) and truth-believing (d = 0.52)

Conflicting results emerged regarding the relationship between countermeasure usage and physiological responses to critical items, suggesting that personality-driven countermeasure deployment may have complex effects on detection accuracy. The NPI demonstrated high internal consistency in this sample (α = 0.93).

Discussion & Significance

The findings reveal a troubling reality: narcissistic individuals believe themselves to be better liars than average, and this self-perception translates into strategic countermeasure deployment during polygraph examinations. This has profound implications for how examiners approach pre-test interviews and behavioral observations.

The study replicated and extended findings from prior research on male students to a predominantly female sample, demonstrating the robustness of the narcissism-deception link across genders. The research supports a model in which people with narcissistic qualities consider lie-telling a legitimate means to obtain the admiration they seek—a motivational framework that explains both their confidence in deceptive abilities and their willingness to employ countermeasures.

Importantly, the study bridges self-perception and behavior. While many investigations rely solely on self-reported deception tendencies, this research demonstrated that high lie-telling ability raters who simulated a guilty suspect role frequently used countermeasures in the CIT, validating the predictive utility of self-assessment measures.

Limitations & Considerations

The study utilized a laboratory mock-crime paradigm, which, while methodologically rigorous, lacks the stakes and stress of real-world polygraph examinations. The fabricated murder scenario may not fully replicate the psychological pressures faced by actual suspects. Additionally, power analysis based on expected large effect sizes (d ≥ 0.89) determined a minimum sample of 16 per condition was adequate, with 40 participants deemed satisfactory—though larger samples might reveal more nuanced personality-behavior relationships.

The countermeasure technique examined—verbal "yes" responses to neutral items—represents only one type of countermeasure. Physical countermeasures (muscle tensing, controlled breathing) and mental countermeasures (cognitive tasks) may show different relationships with narcissistic traits. The conflicting physiological findings suggest detection accuracy outcomes require further investigation with larger, more diverse samples.

Practical Applications

Examiners should recognize that narcissistic examinees may pose elevated countermeasure risk. During pre-test phases, attention to narcissistic indicators—grandiosity, entitlement, overconfidence in one's abilities—can inform both questioning strategies and physiological monitoring vigilance. Examinees who express unusual confidence in their ability to "beat" the test or who display dismissive attitudes toward the procedure warrant heightened scrutiny.

The research also suggests that self-assessed lying ability, easily assessed through brief questionnaires, may serve as a screening tool for countermeasure risk. While not diagnostically determinative, such assessments could complement behavioral observation protocols. For training purposes, the findings underscore the importance of understanding the psychology of deception beyond physiological mechanisms—recognizing that personality traits fundamentally shape examinee behavior and test-taking strategies.