Helping auditors identify deception through psycholinguistics
| Date | 01 October 2018 |
| Pages | 1062-1076 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JFC-05-2017-0042 |
| Published date | 01 October 2018 |
| Author | Rebecca Nicolaides,Richard Trafford,Russell Craig |
| Subject Matter | Accounting & Finance,Financial risk/company failure,Financial crime |
Helping auditors identify deception
through psycholinguistics
Rebecca Nicolaides,Richard Trafford and Russell Craig
University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth Business School, Portsmouth, UK
Abstract
Purpose –This paper reviews an array of psycholinguistictechniques that auditors can deploy to explore
written and oral language for signs of deception. The review is drawn upon to propose someelements of a
forward researchagenda.
Design/methodology/approach –Relevant literature across several disciplines is identified through
keyword searchesof major bibliographic databases.
Findings –The techniques highlighted have considerable potential for use by auditors to identify audit
contexts which merit closer audit investigation. However, the techniques need further contextualempirical
investigationin audit contexts. Seven specific propositionsare presented for empirical testing.
Originality/value –This paper assembles literature on deceptive communication from a wide range of
disciplines and relates it to the auditcontext. Auditors’attention is directed to potential linguisticsignals of
fraud risk, and opportunities for future research are suggested. The paper is consciousness-raising, has
pedagogicpurpose and suggests critical elements for a future researchagenda.
Keywords Language, Fraud, Audit, Deception, Oral, Words
Paper type Conceptual paper
1. Introduction
Fraud imposes considerable costs on the global economy (Gee et al., 2010), prompting
calls for new and more effective methods to assist auditors detect fraudulent activity
(Bierstaker et al.,2006;Hogan et al., 2008;Center for Audit Quality, 2010;Lokanan,
2015). There is a strong case that a critical focus of auditors’methods to detect fraud
and deception should be on examining what senior executives say and do. Such a focus
seems desirable in view of findings that senior executives are involved in 89 per cent of
corporate fraud cases (Beasley et al., 2010).
The need for a wider, holistic approach to evaluating fraud risk in financial
statements is established in the Statement on Auditing Standards No. 99: Consideration
of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit (AICPA, 2002) [hereafter SAS 99] and
International Standard on Auditing 240: The Auditor’s Responsibilities Relating to
Fraud in an Audit of Financial Statements (IFAC, 2012) [hereafter ISA 240]. SAS 99 and
ISA 240 require auditors to explore beyond financial reports. SAS 99 (para 31) requires
them to conduct interviews with management and to consider management’s
“attitudes/rationalizations”. These standards oblige auditors to consider the risk of
fraud or misrepresentation in terms of the “fraudrisktriangle”of motivation,
opportunity and rationalisation (ISA 240, paras 3, A1).
Thus, auditors are obliged to consider the wide sphereof linguistic data available to help
them undertake their audit. Those data reside in formal narratives, such as management
discussion and analysis (MD&A)reports, directors’reports and CEO letters; and in informal
narratives, such as press interviews and conference calls with financial analysts.
Consequently, considerablebenefits seem likely to accrue if auditors understand the psyche
JFC
25,4
1062
Journalof Financial Crime
Vol.25 No. 4, 2018
pp. 1062-1076
© Emerald Publishing Limited
1359-0790
DOI 10.1108/JFC-05-2017-0042
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
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