The True Science of Liar Body Language

The science of lying could become the next pop culture true crime obsession, like CSI and Law and Order before it. New studies have made the art of detecting a liar's body language so intricate it has spurred specials by National Geographic Channel and the new Fox television series Lie to Me.

The main character on Lie to Me, Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth), is loosely based on the American psychologist Paul Ekman who is most noted for his in depth studies on human emotions and how they are expressed physically. Ekman, who acts as consultant for Lie to Me, believes facial expressions connected to different emotions are not learned by different cultures but are universal across cultures worldwide. In other words, biologically, a liar in Egypt would exhibit the same facial expression cues for surprise or contempt that a liar in the United States or China would.

Many of these facial expressions are "microexpressions" because they only appear on the face a fraction of a second. However, unlike obvious clues which a trained liar can overcome and control, microexpressions are pretty much universal.

Detecting a liar based on facial expressions and physical cues is more than just a black and white, right or wrong question. Most people look for guilt when questioning a suspected liar, but when someone lies they will exhibit any one of a wide range of emotions: happy, sad, surprise, contempt, disgust, grief. The trick is to figure out which emotion they have given away, and what it tells you about the person.

Lying Eyes

It is a commonly known trait that a liar will avoid looking you in the eyes. However, a liar may also look too steadily into your eyes, by trying to avoid looking like a liar. Either of these are not normal for conversation. Excessive or absent blinking are also signs of a liar.

Verbal Cues

Liars get very specific when they are cornered. They tend to expand contractions, by saying "I did not" instead of "I didn't," and use more qualifiers or modifiers in their speech. Stuttering, by a non-stutterer, and false starts are also obvious lying signs. Stuttering occurs when a liar is caught off guard and their brain is trying to think of an alibi or detail. False starts can give away crucial information in a liar investigation. When a person says, "I...He didn't....." then you can figure out the action originally represented the liar. Combining false starts as verbal cues with facial expressions can give you a lot of information when questioning a suspected liar.

Liar Lines

When a person smiles from joy, as in greeting or at a joke, the smile will extend to their eyes, crinkling the corners. Liars, however, may smile to appear normal and amiable but the smile will stop on their lips. No wrinkles around the eyes, no crinkles in the corners, represent an insincere smile and an insincere person.

When you surprise someone with information they do not want you to realize has surprised them, they will try to appear confident and mask that surprise. One microexpression Ekman has noticed is the slight raise of eyebrows, at both ends, to reveal that first instant of surprise before the liar takes control of their expression.

Another microexpression is the fleeting glimpse of contempt shown by a lip slightly lifted on the side, a la Elvis' famous snarl. Flared nostrils can also be involuntary signs of contempt. When questioning a person about a co-worker (or a murdered victim) they may speak nicely but that fleeting sign of contempt is a clue to look closer at their motives.

"The Pinnochio Effect"

The children's fairy tale about the fibbing puppet whose nose got longer with every lie may not be far from the truth. When a person lies, tissues in the membrane of the nose usually grow slightly. Dr. Alan R. Hirsch, neurological director of the Smell and Taste Treatment Research Foundation, calls this phenomenon the "Pinnochio Effect." Although the actual physical change in the nose may be impossible to detect without reviewing video material, it does create a subconscious tip-off. Liars tend to lean forward slightly and touch their noses, as if to hide them.

Idle Hands...Show the Truth

Liars tend to fidget to draw attention away from their face or out of a need to release nervous energy. When questioning a suspected liar, leave a pen or small object near them. Inexperienced liars will begin fidgeting with the object, or with their own hands, like a child reaching for a teddy bear. They need an excuse to focus their eyes away from you face and expel nervous energy. Foot tapping, foot shaking (such as when the leg is crossed), fingers drumming, and finger continuously intertwining are all liar fidgets.

Another liar cue is the self-assuring gesture. When a liar is covering for something or someone, but hopes what they are saying is true, they will often subconsciously stroke their own hand or arm. This is a comforting gesture to reassure himself or herself that what they are saying is true, although they do not really believe it is.

Another lying give away - the lean. Liars lean forward slightly as if to convince you, almost pressure you, that they are telling the truth. It is a subconscious attempt to appear more sincere and earnest. It usually fails.

But remember: a liar will not exhibit tip-off clues if he or she actually believes what they are saying. For example, certain people with mental illnesses will fully believe what they say, although it is untrue. Because they believe it they will not show contrary emotions to clue you in that they are lying.

And, of course, of they are a Botox beauty then all bets are off.

Sources:

Science News: Science of Lying by Sean Henahan, Access Excellence

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Ekman

Popular Mechanics: The (Real!) Science Behind Lie to Me by S. E. Kramer