Final answer:
The statement regarding suspects' latency can't be verified as a definitive characteristic of deception. The complexity of deceit detection involves multiple factors and is affected by suggestibility and the difficulty inherent to assessing truthfulness.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that 'the average latency of truthful suspects is longer than that of deceptive suspects' cannot be confirmed as true or false based on available information. While it is often believed that deceptive individuals may show signs of hesitation or delay in their responses, suggesting a longer latency period, the actual determination of deception can be complex and is influenced by various factors, including psychological stress, fear of being disbelieved, or the nature of the questioning.
Suspects may be influenced by suggestibility, a phenomenon where external cues or leading questions can create false memories or alter their recollection of events. This has been noted in situations with high media coverage or fear in the community, such as crime series influencing public perception of crime rates or extensive coverage of traumatic events increasing fear of future incidents.
Efforts to assess truthfulness can be time consuming and difficult, as they often require careful analysis of the suspect's behavior, speech, and other psychological cues which are not always straightforward. There is also a risk of Type II errors in these assessments, where deceptive suspects are not identified correctly.