Practical guidelines for developing a CIT

Overview: In this chapter, we will formulate guidelines on how to develop a good CIT. These guidelines are based upon empirical data from CIT research as well as on theory on memory and orienting. We will outline how best to formulate questions and answer alternatives, how to conduct, score, and report the outcomes of the test. If these guidelines are followed, we are confident that the CIT can make an important contribution to police investigations. The present book reviewed and summarized a large database of research on the Concealed Information Test (CIT), and a compelling case for its widespread adoption by law enforcement agencies was made (see Chapter 1). Clearly, designing adequate test questions is crucial for successful implementation and, as outlined in Chapter 8, good CIT questions need to fulfil two criteria. First, they need to refer to crime-relevant details that are present in the perpetrator's memory. Second, this information does not need to be known to an innocent suspect. The latter criterion primarily poses practical challenges to the police investigation process. Details of the crime should, for example, not be released through the media, nor be disclosed to a suspect in any interrogation preceding a CIT. The former criterion – what information is present in a suspect's memory – on the other hand, is not under the control of the investigative authorities. In this chapter, we will formulate guidelines on how to develop a good CIT, thereby maximizing detection efficiency and ensuring proper reporting.