An offender in the criminal justice system often seeks to portray themselves as feeling remorse, especially when it comes time for sentencing in front of a judge, or parole hearings and the like. It may be easier to relate to someone who feels genuinely sorry for their crime. And it may be easier to show some mercy to a person who appears to be displaying genuine remorse.
Deception is also a good part of any skilled criminal’s behavioral toolkit, because dumb, honest criminals don’t usually last long.
So how can you detect whether someone is feeling genuine remorse, versus deceptive remorse in order to gain some favor with another person?
Canadian researchers from the University of British Columbia and the Memorial University of Newfoundland set to find out.