Telling Lies

1. Lies Fail Due to Poor Planning or Uncontrolled Emotions

Not all lies fail. Some are performed flawlessly.

Two Main Reasons for Failure. Lies often fail because of either a lack of preparation or an inability to control emotions. Liars may not anticipate the need to lie, or they may not have a well-rehearsed story. Even with preparation, strong emotions can cause behavioral slips, revealing the truth.

Thinking and Feeling. The act of lying involves both cognitive and emotional processes. When a liar is caught off guard, they may stumble over their words or show signs of hesitation. When strong emotions are involved, the liar may struggle to conceal their true feelings, leading to leakage.

Examples of Failures:

• A poorly planned alibi that doesn't hold up under scrutiny.
• A liar's voice trembling when trying to appear calm.
• A fleeting facial expression of fear that contradicts a claim of confidence.

2. Concealment is Preferred, Falsification is Riskier

When there is a choice about how to lie, liars usually prefer concealing to falsifying.

Concealment vs. Falsification. Liars often choose to conceal information rather than falsify it because it is easier and less risky. Concealment involves withholding information without saying anything untrue, while falsification requires creating a false narrative.

Advantages of Concealment:

• Easier to execute, requiring no fabrication.
• Less chance of being caught in inconsistencies.
• May feel less morally reprehensible to the liar.
• Easier to cover up if discovered.

Falsification is Necessary When:

• A direct question requires a false answer.
• Emotions must be masked with a false display.
• Evidence of what is being concealed must be covered.

3. Fear, Guilt, and Delight Can Betray Deceit

Not all deceits involve concealing or falsifying emotions.

Emotions and Deceit. Even when a lie is not about emotions, emotions can become involved. Fear of being caught, guilt about lying, and delight in having duped someone can all produce behavioral signs that betray the lie.

Fear of Being Caught:

• Increases with the perceived skill of the lie catcher.
• Increases with the stakes involved.
• Decreases with practice and success in lying.

Deception Guilt:

• Increases when the target is trusting.
• Increases when the liar shares values with the target.
• Decreases when the lie is authorized or seen as altruistic.

Duping Delight:

• Increases when the target is challenging.
• Increases when the lie is a challenge.
• Increases when others are watching or know about the lie.

4. Words and Faces are Easily Controlled, Voice and Body Leak More

Liars usually monitor and try to control their words and face—what they know others focus upon—more than their voice and body.

Attention and Control. Liars tend to focus on controlling their words and facial expressions because they know these are the areas that others pay most attention to. However, the voice and body are more likely to leak signs of deceit because they are less consciously monitored.

Words:

• Easiest to falsify and rehearse.
• Most carefully monitored by liars.
• Can be betrayed by slips, tirades, or inconsistencies.

Face:

• Primary site for displaying emotions.
• Often used to mask true feelings.
• Can be betrayed by micro expressions or squelched expressions.

Voice:

• Tied to areas of the brain involved in emotion.
• Difficult to conceal changes in pitch, tone, and rate.
• Often overlooked by lie catchers.

Body:

• Not directly tied to areas of the brain involved in emotion.
• Often ignored by both liars and lie catchers.
• Can reveal leakage through emblematic slips or decreased illustrators.

5. Facial Expressions: Voluntary and Involuntary Signals

The face is a dual system—voluntary and involuntary, lying and telling the truth, often at the same time.

Dual Nature of Facial Expressions. Facial expressions are both voluntary and involuntary. Liars can deliberately control some facial muscles to create false expressions, but other muscles are more difficult to control, revealing true feelings.

Voluntary Expressions:

• Deliberately chosen and controlled.
• Often used to mask or falsify emotions.
• Can be betrayed by asymmetry, timing, or location.

Involuntary Expressions:

• Spontaneous and automatic.
• Linked to areas of the brain involved in emotion.
• Can leak through micro expressions, squelched expressions, or reliable muscle movements.

Reliable Muscle Movements:

• Specific muscle actions that are difficult to perform voluntarily.
• Often betray concealed emotions.
• Include the inner corners of the eyebrows pulled upward (sadness) and the eyebrows raised and pulled together (fear).

6. Context and Individual Differences Complicate Lie Detection

No clue to deceit is reliable for all human beings, but singly and in combination they can help the lie catcher in judging most people.

The Brokaw Hazard. Individual differences in emotional expressiveness can make it difficult to interpret behavioral clues. Some people are naturally more expressive than others, and some are better at controlling their emotions.

The Othello Error. The fear of being disbelieved can cause truthful people to show the same signs of emotion as liars. This makes it difficult to distinguish between the innocent's fear of being disbelieved and the guilty person's detection apprehension.

Context Matters:

• The relationship between the liar and the lie catcher.
• The stakes involved for both parties.
• The cultural background of the liar and the lie catcher.

Importance of Comparison:

• Lie catchers must compare a suspect's behavior to their usual behavior.
• First meetings are especially vulnerable to errors.
• Previous acquaintance is crucial for accurate judgments.

7. Polygraphs Detect Emotion, Not Lies

The polygraph exam does not detect lies, just signs of emotion.

Polygraph Limitations. The polygraph measures changes in sweating, respiration, and blood pressure, which are all signs of emotional arousal, not lying itself. The polygraph cannot distinguish between different emotions, such as fear, guilt, or excitement.

Control Question Technique:

• Compares responses to relevant questions with responses to control questions.
• Relies on the assumption that innocent people will be more concerned about control questions.
• Vulnerable to the Othello error and the Brokaw hazard.

Guilty Knowledge Test:

• Asks questions about details of a crime that only the guilty person would know.
• Less vulnerable to the Othello error.
• Requires specific information about the crime.

Polygraph Utility:

• May be useful in eliciting confessions.
• May have a deterrent effect on some people.
• Not a reliable tool for detecting lies.

8. Lie Checking: A Method for Estimating Deceit

My message to those interested in catching political or criminal lies is not to ignore behavioral clues but to be more cautious, more aware of the limitations and the opportunities.

Lie Checking Process. Lie checking involves considering a series of questions about the lie, the liar, and the lie catcher to estimate the likelihood of detecting deceit. This process helps to identify potential sources of error and to focus on the most relevant clues.

Key Questions to Consider:

• Does the lie involve concealing or falsifying emotions?
• How practiced and skilled is the liar?
• What are the stakes for both the liar and the lie catcher?
• Does the liar share values with the lie catcher?
• Is the lie catcher a willing victim?
• What are the potential sources of error?

Purpose of Lie Checking:

• To estimate the chances of detecting deceit.
• To identify the most relevant behavioral clues.
• To reduce the likelihood of making mistakes.
• To recognize when it may not be possible to detect deceit.

Last updated: January 14, 2025