Using a model statement to enhance the verifiability approach

Participants gave a true and false statement about a negative autobiographical event, with half of the participants receiving a detailed model statement just before giving their statement. We expected false statements to include more non-verifiable and less verifiable details than true statements, and that providing a model statement would increase these differences.

False statements indeed included more non-verifiable details than truthful statements but did not differ in number of verifiable details. True statements included a higher ratio of verifiable details. The model statement encouraged participants to give a longer and more detailed statement.