Does the oath enhance truth-telling in eyewitness testimony? Experimental Evidence

Nicolas Jacquemet (), Céline Launay (), Stéphane Luchini (), Danica Mijovic-Prelec (), Drazen Prelec (), Jacques Py (), Julie Rosaz () and Jason F. Shogren ()
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Céline Launay: CLLE - Cognition, langues, langage, ergonomie - EPHE - École Pratique des Hautes Études - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - UT2J - Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès - UT - Université de Toulouse - UBM - Université Bordeaux Montaigne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - TMBI - Toulouse Mind & Brain Institut - UT2J - Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès - UT - Université de Toulouse - UT3 - Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier - UT - Université de Toulouse
Stéphane Luchini: AMU - Aix Marseille Université, EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales
Danica Mijovic-Prelec: MIT Sloan - Sloan School of Management - MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Drazen Prelec: MIT Sloan - Sloan School of Management - MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Jacques Py: CLLE - Cognition, langues, langage, ergonomie - EPHE - École Pratique des Hautes Études - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - UT2J - Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès - UT - Université de Toulouse - UBM - Université Bordeaux Montaigne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - TMBI - Toulouse Mind & Brain Institut - UT2J - Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès - UT - Université de Toulouse - UT3 - Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier - UT - Université de Toulouse
Julie Rosaz: BSB - Burgundy School of Business (BSB) - Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Dijon Bourgogne (ESC)
Jason F. Shogren: UW - University of Wyoming

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Abstract: Eyewitness testimony is the most powerful form of evidence in a court of law. Eyewitnesses affect both the odds of conviction and the severity of sentences of the guilty. But eyewitnesses also lie, and false testimony is the primarily cause of wrongful convictions. Most of the extant literature focuses on eyewitness reliability and credibility assessment, but very little is known about the efficiency of the main mechanism used in-field to foster eyewitness honesty: a solemn truth-telling oath-the most ancient and worldwide institution used in the solemn legal ceremony underpinning criminal cases. Herein we examine how the truth-telling oath actually affects the level of eyewitness deception. Using a controlled experimental test designed to address this question, we show that an eyewitness who is exogenously incentivized to lie and takes a solemn oath is significantly less likely to use deception. In contrast with the related literature focusing on the detection of lies, we show that an oath actually works to improve truth-telling. The oath is not just ceremonial, it plays a key role in improving efficiency within the court.

Keywords: Eye-witness testimony; Truth-telling oath; Controlled experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp and nep-law
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-04855141v1
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Published in 2024

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Working Paper: Does the oath enhance truth-telling in eyewitness testimony? Experimental Evidence (2024)
Working Paper: Does the oath enhance truth-telling in eyewitness testimony? Experimental Evidence (2024)
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