Every Lying Signal Explained in 11 minutes | How to Catch a Liar

Summary

This script delves into the telltale signs of deception, highlighting how liars exhibit negative expressions, fidget, and display nervous behaviors like blinking more often. It discusses 'Duping Delight', a positive emotion experienced by certain personalities when lying. The transcript also covers timing issues in gestures, responsibility shifts, and changes in eye contact and pupil dilation. It emphasizes the importance of establishing a baseline to identify deviations and advises against relying on single indicators, stressing the need for a comprehensive assessment to suspect dishonesty.

Takeaways

• 😠 Liars often exhibit negative facial expressions, such as frowning and sneering, and may raise their chin as a sign of deception.
• 😰 Liars tend to be more nervous and tense, with specific signals like fidgeting and increased blinking, especially when lying about moral violations.
• 😈 'Duping delight' is a positive emotion some liars display when anticipating, during, or after lying, and is more common in individuals with Dark Triad personalities.
• 🕺 Liars may have poorly timed physical gestures that do not match their words, similar to an untrained actor.
• 💰 Liars frequently mention responsibility for behavior, either by accepting blame, blaming others, offering excuses, or denying participation.
• 👀 Eye contact can be a sign of lying if it involves looking away or averting gaze more often, especially in cases of moral violations.
• 👁 Pupil dilation can be an indicator of lying, but it's essential to consider it in context with other signals as pupils can also dilate due to other emotions.
• 🤔 Liars' stories may be less logically structured and plausible, particularly if they haven't had time to prepare their lies.
• 📉 Liars are generally less expressive, with less emphasis on words, less intense facial expressions, and fewer hand movements.
• 😖 A liar's facial expression may show less symmetry and conflicting emotions, with the true emotion often found around the eyes.
• ⏱ Liars may have different response latencies, either responding quickly if they prepared their lie or slowly if they are caught off guard.
• 🎵 Liars might speak at a higher pitch than usual, which can be observed or measured using various instruments.

Q & A

What is a common facial expression that liars make according to the script?

Liars often make a specific negative facial expression known as the 'chin raise,' where the chin and the lower lip are pushed upwards.

How do liars typically behave when they are nervous or tense?

Liars tend to fidget with objects, their bodies, or faces more than truth tellers, and they may also blink more often, especially when lying about a moral violation.

What is 'Duping Delight' and which personalities are more likely to display it?

Duping Delight is a positive emotion experienced in anticipation of, during, or after a lie is told. Dark Triad personalities, such as narcissists, machiavellians, and psychopaths, are more likely to display it.

How can the timing of physical gestures indicate lying?

Liars often make badly timed physical gestures, such as gestures appearing before their words or the opposite, similar to an untrained actor.

What does the script suggest about a liar's tendency to mention responsibility for behavior?

Liars will mention responsibility for behavior more often, which can include accepting responsibility, blaming others, offering excuses or justifications, or denying participation in the behavior.

How does eye contact change when someone is lying about a moral violation?

When lying about a moral violation, a liar is more likely to look away or avert their gaze and look down, possibly due to feeling shame.

What does pupil dilation indicate in the context of lying?

Pupil dilation can indicate lying, but it's important to observe it in context with other signs of lying, as pupils can also dilate for reasons such as fear, anger, excitement, or sexual arousal.

Why are the stories of liars often less logically structured?

Liars often have less logically structured stories, particularly if they do not have time to plan their lie, and even if they remain logical, their responses may be less plausible and realistic.

What is the significance of establishing a person's baseline in detecting lies?

Establishing a person's baseline helps in detecting deviations that might indicate lying, as most signs of lying are compared to the specific baseline of the person being observed.

How does the use of pronouns differ between liars and truth tellers?

Liars tend to use more second and third person pronouns or omit pronouns altogether, while truth tellers include more first-person pronouns and use demonstrative references that indicate proximity.

What is the relationship between a liar's talk speed and the nature of the lie?

Liars may talk more quickly when the lie is about violating moral standards or when they feel fear of being caught, but they may talk more slowly if they have to come up with their lie on the spot.

Why is it important to consider multiple signs of lying rather than just one or two?

Relying on just one or two signs can lead to inaccurate assessments, as many signs of lying are needed to make a reasonable conclusion, and no single sign can be 100% conclusive.