The following are techniques to tell if someone
is lying and are often used by police, and some
security experts.
This knowledge is also useful for managers,
employers, and for anyone to use in everyday
situations where telling the truth from a lie
can help prevent you from being a victim of
fraud/scams and other deceptions.
Signs of Deception:
Body Language of Lies:
• Physical expression will be limited and stiff,
with few arm and hand movements.
Hand, arm and leg movement are toward their
own body the liar takes up less space.
• A person who is lying to you will avoid making
eye contact.
• Hands touching their face, throat & mouth.
Touching or scratching the nose or behind their
ear. *Not likely* to touch his chest/heart with
an open hand.
Emotional Gestures & Contradiction:
• Timing and duration of emotional
gestures and emotions are off a normal pace.
The display of emotion is delayed, stays longer
it would naturally, then stops suddenly.
• Timing is off between emotions gestures/
expressions and words.
Example: Someone says "I love it!" when
receiving a gift, and then smile after making that
statement, rather then at the same time the
statement is made.
• Gestures/expressions don't match the verbal
statement, such as frowning when saying
"I love you."
• Expressions are limited to mouth movements
when someone is faking emotions (like happy,
surprised, sad, awe)instead of the whole face.
For example;
when someone smiles naturally their whole face
is involved: jaw/cheek movement, eyes and
forehead push down, etc.
Interactions and Reactions:
• A guilty person gets defensive. An innocent
person will often go on the offensive.
• A liar is uncomfortable facing his questioner/accuser
and may turn his head or body away.
• A liar might unconsciously place objects
(book, coffee cup, etc.) between themselves and you.
Verbal Context and Content:
• A liar will use your words to make answer a
question. When asked, "Did you eat the last cookie?"
The liar answers, "No, I did not eat the last cookie."
•A statement with a contraction is more likely to be
truthful: " I didn't do it" instead of
"I did not do it"
• Liars sometimes avoid "lying" by not making
direct statements. They imply answers instead of
denying something directly.
• The guilty person may speak more than natural,
adding unnecessary details to convince you...
they are not comfortable with silence or pauses in the
conversation.
• A liar may leave out pronouns and speak in a
monotonous tone. When a truthful statement is made the
pronoun is emphasized as much or more than the rest of
the words in a statement.
• Words may be garbled and spoken softly, and syntax
and grammar may be off. In other words, his sentences will
likely be muddled rather than emphasized.
Other signs of a lie:
• If you believe someone is lying, then change subject
of a conversation quickly, a liar follows along
willingly and becomes more relaxed.
The guilty wants the subject changed; an innocent person
may be confused by the sudden change in topics and will
want to back to the previous subject.
• Using humor or sarcasm to avoid a subject.
Final Notes: Obviously, just because someone exhibits one
or more of these signs does not make them a liar.
The above behaviors should be compared to a
persons base (normal) behavior whenever possible.
*Warning: Sometimes Ignorance is bliss;
after gaining this knowledge, you may be hurt when
it is obvious that someone is lying to you.*
