ILLUSTRATIONS Bruno Dias
1) (NOT) FOLLOW THE MASTER
A common behavior among sociable mammals is gestural imitation. We unconsciously copy and emulate gestures from the people we interact with as a way to reassure them during a conversation. A person who lies does not do this or has more difficulty doing it naturally.
2) PIZZA TIME
Pay attention to sweat: people who lie tend to sweat more. Check for signs such as clothes sticking to the body or forehead and palms that are wetter than usual. Sweat is one of the ways that the polygraph, the lie detector device, identifies a potential hoax. But the person may also sweat because they are shy or nervous. Constantly fixing your clothes or hair can be a sign of discomfort. For experts, it is a clear demonstration of anxiety caused by lying.
3) HOLDS THE PRESSURE
Nervousness causes the liar to tense his muscles. The person may grip something tightly until the knuckles are very white, or they may squeeze body parts, such as the arms, without noticing. Built-up tension can be released with involuntary movements, such as stomping your feet on the floor or drumming your fingers on the table. Also see if the person places objects between himself and the interlocutor, such as a book or a glass. Some psychologists say it’s an instinctive attempt to create defensive obstacles.
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4) HEART BEATS
The liar puts the body under stress, which makes the heart beat faster, blood pressure increases and the lungs ask for more oxygen. Look to see if the breathing rate is altered – for example, if it is marked by short breaths followed by a longer one.
5) ARRIVE MORE
When we want to agree or emphasize a statement, we nod our head back and forth toward our chest. An untrained liar, however, will affirm and shake his head from side to side – an unconscious denial. Also pay attention to whether the person holds the body tight. When we are at ease and have nothing to hide, the tendency when talking to someone is to approach or lean towards them. The liar avoids physical contact at all costs.
6) NASAL SIGNS
The liar alters his tone of voice and, by emphasizing the words he speaks, makes mouth movements more prominent. Also, in 60% of cases when a lie is detected, a person scratches his nose. According to psychiatrist Alan Hirsch, this is because the blood vessels inside the nappa swell, slightly stretching its cartilage.
7)CHECK THE SPIT
Anxiety when lying increases the release of the hormone adrenaline in the body. This, in turn, results in an increase in the production of saliva in the mouth, which then quickly becomes dry. Notice if the liar is constantly swallowing or clearing his throat.
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CASCADE FACE
True Emotions «Leak» When You Speak
Be aware when someone communicates: involuntary and barely noticeable facial expressions reveal a person’s true emotions during a conversation. Here’s how to read the seven basic microexpressions
REVIEW YOUR CONCEPTS
The most traditional way of perceiving a lie is pierced
Do you know the classic tactic of detecting a lie by noticing if the person keeps looking down and to the sides? Does not work! Looking away has been pointed out by researchers as an unreliable way to spot a liar. According to studies in neurology, this movement is not necessarily linked to lying, but to memory and the formation of images in the brain.
SOURCES FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin; CIA’s Center for the Study of Intelligence; The Black Book of Lie Detection, by Martin Soorjoo, Micro-Momentary Facial Expressions as Indicators of Ego Mechanisms in Psychotherapy, by EA Haggard and KS Isaacs, Silent Messages: An Implicit Communication of Emotions and Attitudes, by Albert Mehrabian, The Truth websites about Deception and Time
CONSULTANCY Alan Hirsch, a neurologist at the University of Chicago, and Edward Geiselman, a professor of psychology at UCLA