Vocabulary

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

 
 
 
 

Transcript

 
Hey everybody, welcome to Psychology Element.

Nothing hurts more than finding out that you’ve been lied to. Not only can you feel betrayed, but you can also end up feeling humiliated and foolish.

Sometimes, the lies can even go on for an extended period of time, making it even worse when the truth is revealed.

Some people might even avoid becoming too close to people, due to distrust and fear of dishonesty.

However, there are many signals that can help you detect when someone is lying.

There are no black-and-white signs that confirm a lie a hundred percent (100%) of the time, but forensic psychologists and body-language experts have been researching non-verbal cues that suggest lying for decades.

We’ve decided to dig through the research and pick out for favorites.

If you want to become a lie-detecting sleuth, stick around: we’ve got fourteen non-verbal cues someone is lying to you.

Be sure to stick around until the end and let us know your favorite tip (Our favorite is the fifth tip because we had no idea it could mean someone was lying).

All right, let’s get started.
 

Number 14.

They talk with their hands after the lie is told.

This might be a little hard to track, but it’s a great way to spot a lie. Research done by the FBI suggest that people who normally talk with their hands in regular conversations will stop making hand gestures during the lie.

Once the lie is told, they then begin making hand gestures again.

Why is that?

It’s suggested that when people are lying, their mind is working too hard creating the lie that other regular body movements are halted — until the lie is complete.

So, if you notice one of your friends who normally talks with their hands during conversation suddenly becomes still during another, they could be lying to you.
 

Number 13.

Gesturing with both hands during the lie.

In contrast to the above, if they do use hand gestures while lying, they’re more likely to use both of their hands.

In 2015, researchers studied and observed 120 recorded high-profile court cases to determine nonverbal cues of lying.

What they found was that when people were lying, they used both of their hands to make gestures 40% of the time, compared to only 25% when they were being truthful.

So, if somebody who normally doesn’t talk with their hands begins using both during a conversation, keep an ear out for any hints of lying.
 

Number 12.

Hiding their palms

Having open palms facing up signals they’re open for conversation. So, if someone is hiding their palms, it’s a sign they’re uncomfortable and hiding something.

People can hide their hand behind their backs, in their pockets, or under the table. Of course, there are other reasons that could be making them uncomfortable.

But if you just asked a question that requires a truthful answer, and suddenly their hands fly behind their backs, you may want to be suspicious.
 

Number 11.

“Grooming” behaviors.

When someone is lying, they’ll often display grooming behaviors, especially if the rest of their body is free of fidgeting.

They might play with their hair, inspect their nails, pick at their clothes, or do other things to release their nerves without appearing too fidgety.
 

Number 10.

Rolling back their lips.

When someone folds their lips back so they are hidden for a second before speaking, it can mean they’re trying to conceal some of their emotions.

If someone performs this action directly before speaking, it could mean some of the truth is at least partially hidden.

Think of it like they’re reflexively closing their mouth, to use that last second to gain a hold of their emotions before saying the lie.

 

Number 9.

Their complexion may change.

When people are lying, it’s uncommon for their expression to change. Sometimes they may pale immediately, but usually their complexion changes by blushing.

When someone is lying, often their heart rate and adrenaline both increase. This automatic response is caused by our sympathetic nervous system whenever a threat is present.

In the liar’s case, the threat of getting caught in a lie is sometimes enough to get our adrenaline pumping.

So, if your blushing ever gets you caught in a white lie, you can thank your sympathetic nervous system for that.

 

Number 8.

Sweating.

Sweating is a common and well-known side effect of lying. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to tell if someone is sweating if they’re wearing dark clothes or a sweater.

If that’s the case, pay special attention to the chin, below the nose, and forehead.

If you see sweat pooling, it’s a good indicator they’re lying.

 

Number 7.

Voice changes.

If someone shoes a change in their voice, it can indicate lying. This is especially true when their voice raises or their tone becomes snappy or short.

This could be because they’re getting defensive before even being accused of lying. It’s as if they already know they’re busted, so they’re defensive before they need to be.

 

Number 6.

They mention their honesty during their speech.

These next two aren’t focused entirely on non-verbal communication. But they’re so good, we had to add them in.

Sometimes when people are lying, they’ll unconsciously try to make themselves appear more honest.

They do this simply by saying phrases such as, “I’m going to be honest with you . . .”, “Honestly, I . . .” or “Let me tell you the truth”.

Doing this is a way to overcompensate for their dishonesty. However, now that you know the trick, you might not believe their claim to the truth as easily.

 

Number 5.

They give too much detail.

Forensic psychologists have been studying cues that suggest lying for years. One of the most fascinating signs is when someone gives too much detail in a lie.

One might think that having a detailed story would suggest that someone is telling the truth. After all, how could they make a realistic, detailed story if it was a lie?

However, forensic psychologists and interrogators know not to believe long, flowery, detailed stories.

Usually, when people act like this, it can show they’ve already put a lot of thought into getting their story straight, and have likely practiced it to make it believable.

If a detective asks the question, “Where were you on Tuesday morning?”
Someone might simply say, “I went to work.”

Although this is a short statement and doesn’t give much information to the detective, it does show a level of confidence in their statement and that they have less to hide.

In contrast, if someone answered that question with, “I woke up around nine, made breakfast, got a car wash, and picked up a coffee. Then went to work around ten am,” this could make them appear more guilty.”

It’s not natural for people to recite every detail when asked a question, especially if time has passed since then.

Chances are, a lot of the details will be lies.

 

Number 4.

They smile only with their mouths, not their eyes.

When people are showing a fake smile, they won’t smile with their eyes.

A true, genuine smile that signals joy is called the Duchenne Smile

It’s characterized by muscles pulling at your smile cheeks and eyes which creates a crinkle on their sides.

It’s not always easy to notice these small laugh lines, but they can be very telling.

Have you ever asked a friend if they could help you move, and they agree with a big smile on their lips?

If you don’t look closely, you might be able to tell that they’re actually not happy about lending a hand.

 

Number 3.

Fidgeting their whole body.

When someone is lying, they’ll often become nervous, which results in fidgeting: shuffling of the feet . . . shaking their legs . . . or becoming itchy and scratching repeatedly are all examples of people trying to hide their lies.

If someone seemed relaxed before getting questioned, then becomes fidgety, they might be lying to you!

 

Number 2.

Their body language doesn’t match their speech.

When someone is lying to you, they might make gestures that go against their words. This is especially noticeable when people are lying about things they don’t want to do — but act happy to.

Similar to the Duchenne Smile, sometimes people might nod their heads excessively when they wish they could be shaking their heads “no”.

Imagine if your friends invited you to a wedding that was overseas and expensive.

Although you want to be happy for your friends and attend their wedding, the financial costs are weighing you down.

Nonetheless, you don’t want to be a downer, and instead say you’re thrilled and will be there without a doubt in your mind.

There would be a good chance that despite your head nods and smile, you’re probably shuffling your feet and fidgeting your hands while you silently know it won’t be likely you’ll attend.

 

Number 1.

Their breathing changes.

When someone is lying about something, they might actually become “out of breath” due to their rising heartbeat.

As a result, they might have staggered breathing or take long, big breaths of air before speaking.

Another sign to indicate a change in breathing is watching their shoulders. They might rise more with each breath or tense up if they’re trying to rush the story out without taking a breath.

If you notice someone’s breathing change, it might be good to be suspicious.

We hope these tips help you detect a liar.

What was your favorite tip that made you feel like a detective in training? Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below.

 

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Questions

 
Fidget. Lying, deceit, dishonesty, treachery, backstabbing, betrayal are noble and moral traits and characters. What do you think?

Nervous. Can lie-detection be totally accurate and absolute?

Dilation, Contraction. When people tell lies, do they start gesturing with their hands, do they stop, both, neither, or in between?

Goosebumps. If a person puts their hands behind their backs, in their pockets, or holds them together, it means they are cold. True or false?

Shaking, Shivering. What can you say about fidgeting, scratching, and grooming oneself?

Perspiration, Sweat. Can you detect any changes of person without them moving or speaking?

Hesitation. Explain what a Duchenne Smile is. What might be the opposite of a Duchenne Smile?

Facial Expression. What might liars say? How might they speak?
 
 
 

Hand Gestures. Are you very familiar with these facial expressions, tone of voice, body language?

Tone of Voice. Would being able to understand non-verbal forms of expression be help at work and in everyday life?

Pitch, Volume. What would happen if everyone could read other people’s thoughts and intentions? If everyone could read each others thoughts and intentions . . .

Eye Contact. What might happen in the future?

Body Language. What could or should people do?