Is a picture worth a thousand words? Congruency between encoding and testing improves detection of concealed memories.

The current study addressed modality effects in a web-based Concealed Information Test (CIT) by asking participants to encode, and later conceal, crime-related details. Items were encoded tested verbally or pictorially. A pilot (N = 73) preregistered (N = 158) showed robust interaction between encoding testing modality: that the same associated with better detection. Moreover, recognition of items could not be detected pictorial test. Our findings support existence modality-congruency effect when subjects try conceal their knowledge. In applied scenarios, test should matched which details encoded. Furthermore, CIT might protect informed innocents if leakage happened verbally.