| Liars... |
So they... |
| ...are often worried about being caught or feel guilty,
and are hence tense. |
...speak in a higher pitched voice
...hesitate.
...make speech errors. ...move jerkily. |
| ...do not 'remember' what they say happened |
...say things which are inconsistent. ...miss out
irrelevant detail. |
| ...make up stuff. |
...hesitate as they think about what to say. ...forget
what they said. ... |
| ...are worried about what you might ask. |
...talk a lot to use up the time.
...get 'emotional' to try and put you off. ...goes along easily if
you change the subject. |
| ...are worried about what they might say. |
...use language carefully. ...pause to think before
answering.
...give short answers.
...use a monotonous tone. |
| ...fear eye contact will give the game away. |
...avoid eye contact.
...blink more often.
...rub their eyes more. |
| ...fear being detected. |
...say as little as possible. ...try to get away or
change the subject.
...parrot back your words with a denial. ...exaggerate statements
about being truthful. |
| ...try to control body language. |
...hold the body rigid. ...leak signals then cover up
fast.
...smile with the mouth but not the eyes. ...forget to control the
lower body (which may twitch). |
| ...cannot control body language. |
...send conflicting signals with different parts of the
body.
...have eye pupil dilation.
...shrug and grimace. ...give the game away with lower-body
signals. ...fidget, with hands and feet. |
| ...feel threatened. |
...attack, defend or deflect. ...place barriers in front
of them, from arms to books to tables. |
| ...need time to think. |
...repeat the question. ...adjust their clothing.
...ramble on about inconsequential things. ...has slight delays in speech-body
alignment. |
| ...make up pictures and see them objectively, from the
outside. ...try to keep neutral. |
...describe things as if viewing them. ...use less 'I'
statements.
...look in a different place (usually up and often up-right) to where
we look when remembering (as opposed to constructing) a picture. |
| ...get warmer. Sweat. |
...skin gets redder or damper. ...rubbing affected area,
particularly palms or the neck. |
| ...know about the above and over-compensate. |
...appear too relaxed.
...keep a 'frozen face' to avoid leakage.
...hold themselves still with hands and arms.
...stare (blinking less).
...go too rigid.
...go into excessive detail.
...show no discrepancies at all.
...wear dark glasses. |
