Lie to Me--Detecting Dishonesty

Lie detection is what many people think of when it comes to facial reactions and nonverbal behavior. Unfortunately there are many things to learn and perfect before you can accurately accuse someone of lying, and hopefully you've gained some of those skills from this blog.

This will be a finale of sorts, tying up all the lessons in one neat package. Without further ado, let's get right to it.

Is lie detection really possible?

The short answer is "yes," but there are so many complications and qualifiers that even the most seasoned of spy-catchers can honestly admit to "getting it right" only a little over half of the time. Detecting a lie is as complex as it is challenging, much more complex than my rather simple analysis of Clinton's speech. As I've stated many times before, it's not just about the one tell you see but the combination of many in succession--in response to something that just happened. You have to ask the right questions and observe the right response before you can even begin to accurately doubt a person's honesty.

I'm not looking for a philosophical discussion. Just give me pointers.

Okay.

• Start at the feet. Are they pointing anywhere other than at you? If the feet are pointing towards a door or exit, they're in a hurry to leave you or would rather be somewhere else.
• Look at their arms and torso. Did they just cover up their stomach area in response to what you just said? If a person buttons up their jacket as a reaction, it means they have a reason to not be "open" or fully upfront. Did the person grab an object to create a barrier between you? A physical barrier is a strong "flight" maneuver and indicates relevant secrecy.
• Assess their posture. Posture is great to determine level of confidence. Are they supposed to be feeling a little "down"? Does the posture reflect that? Look for inconsistencies here.

 Hopefully you've done all of this quickly enough to spend some time looking at the face.

• The easiest thing to observe is the lip-purse--the person exerts effort into keeping the mouth closed. When you see the lips slowly disappear into the mouth, you know the person is hiding something. A bad liar can give himself away if he follows up the lip-purse with a strong swallow.
• Does the person have a reason to be angry? Look for the nostril-flair and a small set of wrinkles at the very top of the nose. You can practice this face in the mirror to better understand how the "anger face" looks. 
• When the person makes a statement, look for the iconic eyebrow-raise. This indicates a surprise to one's own words (I've mentioned this before as well). This means what they say doesn't match what they think or feel. This means, in the words of Tim Roth, "he's lying."
• Remember pacifying behaviors? An unpracticed liar can't help but to touch his face in an attempt to subconsciously soothe himself. Look for any type of rubbing or pinching that follows a statement.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. This list will not make you an expert lie detector overnight. If you come face-to-face with a sociopath serial killer, you most likely won't be able to tell if he is being dishonest at all. This stuff is hard, and it should be. Emotions are complicated and it takes loads of practice to decipher them correctly. Hopefully you can at least learn to tell if your friend is lying about stealing your bike, if your roommate is lying about eating the last chocolate bar, or if your dad is lying about accidentally running over your pet rat.

Most importantly, follow your gut. You'd be surprised at how often your instincts are right.


Navarro, J. (2008). What Every BODY Is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Speed-Reading People. New York: Harper Collins.