Enhancing Lie Detection in Virtual Interviews with the Asymmetric Information Management ‘AIM’ Technique

The AIM (Asymmetric Information Management) technique can improve the ability to distinguish between truth tellers and liars in interviewing settings. This is because truth tellers respond to the AIM instruction by being more detailed, whereas liars typically withhold information. This means that liars give less detailed statements, compared to truth tellers, making lie detection possible. Virtual interviewing does not allow for the same level of rapport building, and as such, some tools may be less effective. We tested the application of the AIM technique to an online interview. We found that when using virtual interviews, the AIM technique is more effective at eliciting detail, compared to the standard ‘tell me everything’ instruction. This makes it easier for investigators to detect differences between truth tellers and liars, based on how detailed their statements are.