Most people object to lying but then again they lie anyway, it might be for either honorable or devious intentions. How good would it be to detect if someone is lying?
Pamela Meyer, who wrote the book "Liespotting", gave a TED talk about how she uses scientific knowledge to spot deception.
How do we spot if someone is lying?
Language
Non-contracted denial - people who are over-determined in their denial will use formal language, such as “I did not” instead of “I didn’t”.
Liars may also use distancing language when talking about someone, such as “that man/woman”.
Other discrediting uses of language include using qualifying phrases and repeating the question in full.
Attitude
Repeating the story in the same order, word for word, reveals that the fabricated story was rehearsed.
If you ask a liar to tell their story backwards, you will watch them squirm, Meyer says.
Duping delight is the term for when someone smiles, which gives away relief at getting away with something. Another emotion or expression may be let out accidentally, or ‘leaked’.
Reluctance, irritation, unhelpfulness are signs that someone is lying, whereas someone telling the truth is more likely to be cooperative, helpful, suggest ideas and solutions.
Facial expressions
The trick is to closely observe someone while you have an innocent, more casual conversation then to see if any ticks or facial expressions appear when you start asking more difficult questions.
These facial expressions that could be a giveaway include:
- Eyes darting back and forth: a physiological reaction to feeling uncomfortable
- Rapid blinking: a sign of stress
- Closing eyes for more than one second at a time: may indicate lying because this is a type of defense mechanism
- Looking to the right: people access actual memories when they to the left but when they do so to the right, they are accessing their imagination to invent something
- Face touching: chemical reactions cause people’s faces to itch when they lie
- Pursed lips: the mouth will often go dry when someone lies
- Fake smile: you can put on a smile with your mouth, but the bunching of skin around your eyes cannot
- Head shaking: if people shake their heads in disagreement with what they’ve said, their bodies could be betraying a lie
- Blushing and sweating: more obvious signs of discomfort could also give the game away
So now you know how to catch a liar.