Catching someone in a lie?
Not as easy as you'd think!
Hey guys, Tara here for Dnews - and if you have friends or partners who are chronic liars
- then you've come to the right place.
Nonverbal cues are widely considered to be the most telling indicators of when a person
is lying.
So what should you look out for?
One of the first signs of a nervous liar is fidgeting - so pay close attention.
Are they shuffling their feet, or playing with their hair, or messing with their watch?
All of these could be potential signs of deceit.
You've probably heard that liars tend to avoid eye contact, but did you know that dilated
pupils can also be a sign?
These are caused by increased tension and concentration, typically experienced when
someone is lying.
Defensiveness is another telling behavior - that can manifest in multiple ways.
If someone's voice suddenly gets higher, for example, that's a pretty good giveaway.
Liars also tend to be uncooperative, and make more negative statements, using words like
"sad" and "hate."
Most of these seem pretty obvious when you think about it - but modern research suggests
they may not be entirely accurate.
A study published last month in the journal Psychological Science claims that humans are
better at detecting lies when they're doing so unconsciously, rather than consciously
trying to decipher certain behaviors.
According to Maria Hartwig, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice,
looking at a person's behavior and listening to their statements - has a lie detection
accuracy rate of about 54%, which is only slightly above the rate you'd obtain from
simply guessing.
The real indicators, she says, are much more subtle than the nonverbal cues we've been
taught to rely on.
Clark Freshman is a law professor who runs a firm that trains lawyers and negotiators
on proper lie detection techniques.
He says that while there's no surefire method for detecting liars - there are some advanced
methods they employ during questioning.
The "unanticipated question approach," for example, is useful in cases where you suspect
someone may be trying to cover something up.
This is based on the idea that people in these situations, will often fabricate stories without
considering all of the details.
So, if someone commits a crime but their alibi says they were at a restaurant when it happened
- ask them questions they wouldn't expect.
Like, where was the restaurant's bathroom located?
A person who's telling the truth, will have no problem answering these details - but a
liar, might struggle more.
If you already have evidence that someone has lied, Hartwig says the worst thing you
can do - is to let the liar know you have evidence.
Instead, ask them general questions, and see how much information they're willing to volunteer.
People who are telling the truth, tend to be more forthcoming with information than
liars, who are naturally evasive.
Freshman also says to look out for microexpressions - which are subtle facial cues that appear
for only a split second.
A 2008 study on the topic, showed that people who are being deceptive about their emotions,
display inconsistent expressions and blink more often than those telling the truth.
So if you REALLY wanna catch someone in a lie - try not to focus too much on the obvious
clues.
It's the subtle ones that are usually the most telling.
If you know any other tried-and-true methods for catching a liar with their pants down
- let us know in the comments below, and for more episodes of Dnews - subscribe here.