I know something I won’t tell. A longitudinal investigation of children’s ability to withhold information in an adapted RT-CIT paradigm

Citation

Visu-Petra L, Millen A, Lee A, Buta M & Prodan N (2026) I know something I won’t tell. A longitudinal investigation of children’s ability to withhold information in an adapted RT-CIT paradigm. Applied Cognitive Psychology.

Abstract
We extend preliminary research on the Reaction Time-based Concealed Information Test (RTCIT) by testing the longitudinal reliability of two novel versions of the RT-CIT in school-age children. We assessed 8-to-12-year-olds (N = 194) at two time points (one year apart) asking knowledgeable participants (children exposed to relevant information) to conceal critical information for personal or prosocial reasons. Their reaction times and accuracy in denying recognition of the critical information were compared to unknowledgeable counterparts. We assessed interrelations between children’s RT-CIT performance and baseline cognitive (processing speed, short-term memory), executive (verbal and visuospatial working memory, inhibition, and shifting), and emotional processes (symptoms of anxiety, depression). Results supported a reliable RT-CIT effect at both assessment points, confirming the RT-CIT as a relatively viable tool for detecting concealed information throughout middle childhood. The RT-CIT effect was not significantly associated with cognitive or emotional individual differences, suggesting it was not susceptible to such influences.

Keywords
Reaction Time-based Concealed Information Test; children; executive functions; anxiety; longitudinal

Journal
Applied Cognitive Psychology