The fool-proof way to detect a liar (honest!)
Worried your partner is having an affair or the builder's spinning you a yarn? Dr PAUL SEAGER, lecturer in psychology at the University of Central Lancashire, busts some of the most common lie-detection myths and offers tips for spotting a liar...
EYE CONTACT
The biggest misconception is that we break eye contact when were lying. Good liars hold your eye contact longer than normal, as they know people believe this giveaway.
FIDGETING
Another myth people believe is that we fidget more when we lie actually, the opposite is true. If someone has to make up a lie on the spot, they divert energy away from their bodily movements and into their brain function. So they will be more still than normal while they try to come up with a plausible lie.
Interrogation: Bombarding someone with questions is a good way to test if they are telling the truth
LOOKING UP AND TO THE RIGHT
The third big myth is that when we fib our gaze fixes on a particular spot. There simply hasnt been any research done on it, so I think its a myth.
It is based on the idea that when we look up or down, to the left or right, were accessing a certain kind of memory. But our sentences involve different kinds of memories and brain functioning, so this is unlikely to be true.
LISTEN TO VOICE PITCH
When you lie, the pitch of your voice rises ever so slightly. Research suggests an increase in voice pitch is a good indicator that someones being deceptive but its difficult to spot.
If you know what their voice normally sounds like, and when they answer a tricky question their voice sounds higher than usual, something may be amiss.
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BOMBARD THEM WITH QUESTIONS
This sounds a bit daunting, but all it means is that when you lie you have to concentrate hard on what youre saying, so there will be less complexity in your answer.
If youre trying to catch someone out, once theyve done their spiel, ask plenty of difficult questions.
If theyre lying, their answers will probably be quite vague and lacking in detail.
No visual clues: A liar won't get a long nose like Pinocchio but you can catch them out by listening to their tone of voice
MAKE THEM SAY IT IN REVERSE
This technique is often used by the police. They will ask someone to give a version of events. Then they will ask them to go back to their story and repeat the events but in reverse order. If theyre making it up, thats much more difficult.
HOW QUICKLY DO THEY ANSWER?
We call this one response latency and it means that, because it takes a lot of brainpower to concoct a lie, there may be a time lag between you asking a question and the other person answering.
LISTEN TO VERBAL CUES
I always say that body language is a bit hit and miss for deception detection. If you really want to catch a liar, listen to what people say and the way they say it.
So if you think your partners having an affair and you really, really want to know if its true (and think very hard about that because once you know, you cant unknow it), simply turn to them and ask: Are you having an affair?
If they just say No, of course not, I would trust them much more than if they said: How can you possibly ask me that? How long have we known each other? Im sho! cked you would even ask me that question.
Thats typically evasive behaviour. Try asking again, and if they start to get angry and evasive, something could well be going on.
HONESTY BASELINE
If you talk to someone when theyre relaxed, you can build up a picture of how they normally react. When I talk, I swivel on my chair, my leg jiggles and my hands are all over the place.
If you ask me a question and my behaviour changes suddenly, its usually a good indication that somethings going on.
Would I Lie to You? Deception Detection In Relationships, At Work And In Life by Dr Paul Seager and Dr Sandi Mann (Fusion Press, 10.99)
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