In law enforcement, a number of techniques and devices have been employed through the years as investigative tools to help identify deception. One technique which is not commonly in use but which is gaining popularity is linguistic analysis of raw text. Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) is a quantitative text analysis software program that categorizes individual words into various dimensions to study individual speech. The premise is that when words are analyzed as decomposed units of speech, a latent meaning of the individual’s thoughts, which are independent of context, are exposed for analysis. It is proposed that research be undertaken to determine whether LIWC analysis could be employed by law enforcement as an investigative tool to indicate deception or possible deception in written statements.
