Recognition of lies by facial expressions. How to identify a lie and understand that you are lying. And the pens - here they are

26.08.2023

According to statistics, each person manages to lie at least 4 times a day, because the truth often contradicts the generally accepted standards of decency, ethics and even morality. How to recognize a lie, if not a single modern detector is able to give a 100% guarantee that what a person said is not a deception? Let's determine the external signs of untruth, which will betray the interlocutor.

What is the untruth

Often deception is harmless when a person tells a lie out of politeness or out of a desire to please ("You look great!", "Very nice to meet you!"). Sometimes people have to withhold the whole truth or remain silent in response to uncomfortable questions out of unwillingness to escalate the situation, and this is also considered insincerity.

However, psychologists say that even seemingly harmless lies can seriously harm relationships, especially when it comes to understatement between family members: husband and wife, parents and children. Achieving mutual trust and maintaining strong family ties in such circumstances is difficult, so it is important to know how to recognize the lies of a man, woman or child.

The observations of specialists in the field of psychology have shown certain results that relate to deception in the family:

despite their external openness to the interlocutor, extroverts are more prone to lies than introverts;
children quickly learn to lie in authoritarian families, while doing it often and masterfully;
parents who behave gently towards the child notice the lie immediately, because he rarely deceives and lies uncertainly;
the female gender is prone to deceit when it comes to household items - they hide the price of purchased goods, do not talk about a broken cup or a burnt dish, etc.;
men tend to be understated in matters of relationships, they hide their dissatisfaction with a partner, have mistresses and confidently lie about their fidelity.

How to learn to recognize a lie?

To prevent the development of complex family relationships built on deceit, infidelity and understatement, it is important to learn to understand sincerity. Often the ability to bring a deceiver to clean water is a natural talent of a person who intuitively knows how to recognize a lie by facial expressions, gestures or intonation of the interlocutor. In this he is helped by the life experience of communicating with liars, or by natural observation.

This is not to say that anyone can't spot cheating without the right experience or talent. At present, psychology has established some verbal and non-verbal signs of information distortion, which are typical for most people. Thanks to a well-established methodology based on the understanding of such signals, each person will be able to develop the ability to recognize insincerity. Let's find out what can betray a liar.

Psychology, theory of insincerity of lies

All people lie every day

Just don't deny it. We all lie in order to benefit, "to get away with it." Time " for the benefit of» people who are dear to us and are not indifferent. And who came up with this lie? Indeed, without it, it is much better, and life is somehow bright in those moments when there is not a second of lies in it. Is it possible to make life bright and very truthful? A rhetorical question….

How to recognize lies by gestures?

I wonder if we will stop lying when we know that our lies can be exposed? Recognition of a lie is extremely important for those people whose profession is connected with the purchase - sale, the underworld .... What is there to say? Are there people who enjoy being lied to? It is especially insulting if the one you trust so much deceives. After you experience a lie on yourself, you don’t want to trust someone and rely on someone at all. Every time we make a promise to ourselves not to trust anyone else, we, of course, break it, because not believing is just as impossible as not deceiving.

In order not to “burn oneself” once again and be prepared in advance for a lie, there are various methods and methods that “warn” us about it. Main so that you can " catch"the moment of true lies and accept it, ignoring, subsequently, everything that the interlocutor will say after.

Sign Language - Lie

I will tell you the secrets of the psychology of gestures, you can determine whether a person is lying. That's what a man does who wants to lie:

P touches the earlobes, rubbing and scratching them. Suppose your young man tells you that he was on a business trip without leaving his ear alone. Perhaps his business trip was somewhat different.
P scratches the nose. This gesture should be treated with caution, as the nose can often itch and just like that.
strange unnatural smile. You've probably seen this smile more than once. It seems that a person “squeezes” a smile out of himself, like toothpaste from a tube.
D holding on to something nearby (chair, doorknob, purse). Girls, if your young man is holding on to a bouquet of flowers, this does not count.
T rips hair. Is it really possible to “confuse” lies in hair? However, if your interlocutor torments his hair, in this way, perhaps he wants to hide the truth.
When a woman lies, she usually begins to carefully put herself in order, diligently paint her lips, comb her hair (sharply and quickly).
A person who hides the truth either lowers his eyes, avoiding a collision of his gaze with the gaze of the interlocutor, or, conversely, “glares” his eyes into the eyes of the opposite, trying to “absorb” invented sincerity into them.
D holds a hand near the mouth, as if trying to cover it, or the hand is in the throat area. Maybe there's just nowhere else to put your hand? In fact, such a gesture is a “signal” to lie.
The human body is like leaves" back. This can be noticed when a person, suddenly, during a conversation, leans back (as during a trip in transport).
P bites lips or nails. Remember how once, your neighbor, visiting you, drinking tea, bit all her “manicured” nails when she told that she met a celebrity.
You observe a knee tremor in the interlocutor, which he tries to restrain, but in vain: trembling is strangely indefatigable.
H the person you are talking to adjusts the laces or collar. Yes, this can be observed, in our time, often.
The interlocutor put his hands in the inguinal region (not on purpose, of course, but somehow by accident, unconsciously).
The one with whom you communicate very often changes posture. You may get the impression that you have an uncomfortable sofa or chair.
He pretends to put things in order. If you think logically, then everything becomes clear: a person trying to hide a lie behind your actions.
Coughs often. Apparently, something dissuades him from lying, not allowing him to say a word.
P ri smoking, very often delayed. So the cigarette turned out to be a good "detective".
P barks his hands (hides them wherever possible).
A person takes a small step back or moves from foot to foot. This may resemble a situation when a person is cold and trying to somehow warm up.
If the interlocutor crosses legs and arms- he fences himself off from you so that it is easier to deceive.
The head is tilted back or down - this is a huge desire to hide from you.
Man, during the deception, holds his breath.
The interlocutor sits with closed or half-closed eyes - he is overcome by a huge sense of guilt. Main, do not confuse the “closedness” of the eyes with the fact that the person is simply tired and wants to sleep so much that he cannot keep his eyes open.
TO When a person lies, he first speaks more quietly, then, unexpectedly for himself and others, they begin to speak very loudly.

If your interlocutor, during a conversation, suddenly, looks to the left or right, this does not mean that he is lying to you. When he looks to the right side, some kind of picture “spins” in his imagination. If to the left, he sorts through, in memory, memories.

Man is so made that it is very difficult for him to tell a lie without gestures. And he doesn't know how to lie either. There are those people who re-read a bunch of literature in order to learn not to let deception into their lives (at least from their side). However, unfortunately, it is impossible not to lie. Yes, conscience hurts. Even insomnia often creeps up. But they will not be able to "dissuade" people from lying.

People find excuses like “I lied one less lie today.” Well, you have to start somewhere. Better - less lies than usual.

What to do with lies "for the sake of good"?

And you can’t do anything with her: she will stay with you, not leaving you. Lying is like a bad habit. And then, when it “appears” during a “necessary situation” that requires you to lie, you can’t run away from it at all.

It has long been no secret that all people lie. They can cheat in small things or in more important things. Those who do not want to become their victim need to be prepared for such a turn of events and learn to recognize lies. To do this, you must have extensive experience in communicating with people and constantly train your own powers of observation. Learning to understand people is quite difficult, but still possible. Most often, a lie is determined by the eyes, facial expressions and gestures.

Eyes are a mirror...

When a person lies, it is often his eyes that give him away. With a desire, you can learn to control gestures or facial expressions, or think through a story to the smallest detail, but it is unlikely that you will be able to control eye movements. During a lie, a person feels very insecure and uncomfortable, so he tries to look away. If the interlocutor does not look directly into the eyes - this can be considered as the first sign of deception.

But not everything is so simple. Almost everyone knows how to detect lies in the eyes, so they use the method "on the contrary." If a person looks directly with an unblinking gaze, he may want to justify himself. An overly honest look often indicates the untruthfulness of the words of the interlocutor. It seems that he wants to penetrate the thoughts of the opponent and see if he believes him. And if a liar is taken by surprise, most likely, he will try to switch his attention or leave for another room.

It is almost impossible to control, so a person who lies has a different look. The pupil becomes much smaller than usual.

Blood to the face...

Determining lies by the eyes is not the only way to recognize lies. When a person tells a lie, tiny wrinkles appear around his eyes. Sometimes you can even see them with the naked eye. If there are doubts about the sincerity of the words of the opponent, you should carefully observe his skin around the eyes.

Four directions of the world

Thinking about the eyes, you can observe in which direction the interlocutor is looking. If his gaze is directed to the right, then he is deceiving. When people look up and straight, it means that at that moment they come up with a picture or image for themselves. To represent sounds or a phrase, the person will look to the right and straight ahead. When the script is ready, the deceiver will look to the right and down. But these rules only apply if the person is right-handed. In a left-hander, the position of the eyes is the opposite when lying.

If the gaze moves quickly from one object to another, then this is also an occasion to think about how to determine a lie in the eyes.

Guilt

Knowing the basic secrets, you can easily determine whether a person is deceiving or not. Many people during a false story experience At this time, the eyes go down, and sometimes to the side. To determine a lie, it is necessary to compare the movements of the eyeballs with the words that the opponent utters.

"fixed" eyes

Psychologists are sure that a frozen look is a sign that a person is telling a lie. To check this, it is enough to ask the interlocutor to remember some detail. If he continues to look straight ahead and does not blink, he is most likely not to be trusted. In the case when the opponent answers the question posed without hesitation and without changing the position of the eyes, one can suspect him of insincerity. When the number of blinks increases, this indicates that the person feels uncomfortable and wants to move away from the outside world.

But the definition of a lie by the eyes in this way is not fair in the case when the events took place ten or fifteen minutes ago. Also, do not get hung up on a fixed look when a person provides information that is very important to him, for example, an address or phone number.

A sharp look away

When communicating with a person, you can sometimes notice how he quickly looks away to the side during the story, and then looks back at the interlocutor. It is very likely that his actions indicate that he is trying to hide something.

If the interlocutor looked directly and openly throughout the conversation, and when touching on a certain topic, he began to look away or avoid direct contact, then this is one of the signs of how to recognize a lie in the eyes. But sometimes insecure and insecure people behave this way if the topic of the conversation makes them feel uncomfortable. In this case, it makes no sense to talk about deception on the basis of this sign alone.

Frightened expression

A person who cheats is always afraid of being exposed. Therefore, during a conversation, he may be a little scared. But only an experienced psychologist can distinguish him from the usual shyness in front of an unfamiliar person or an unusual situation.

Eyes are not the only indicator of lies. Analyzing the behavior of the interlocutor, it is worth evaluating the full picture: pay attention to gestures, posture and facial expressions. Any information about a person will come in handy in order to correctly match the words and the “picture”. Therefore, it is not worth doing.

Facial expressions while lying

Knowing the position of the eyes when lying is important, but it is not enough. It is necessary to observe the speech of a person, his movements and behavior. During a false story, changes are sure to be noticeable. It is necessary to evaluate facial expressions and gestures only in combination with speech and voice parameters.

Intonation and smile

When the interlocutor deceives, his speech and intonations will change. The voice may tremble, and words are spoken more slowly or, conversely, faster. Some people develop hoarseness or slip high notes. If the interlocutor is shy, then he may begin to stutter.

Smiling can also reveal insincerity. Many people smile a little when they lie. The interlocutor should be alerted if the smile is completely inappropriate. This facial expression allows you to hide a little awkwardness and excitement. But this does not apply to cheerful people who always try to smile.

Facial muscle tension

If you look at your opponent very carefully, you can figure out whether he is cheating or not. It will be given out by microtension of the facial muscles, which lasts for several seconds. No matter how “stone” the interlocutor speaks, instant tension is still inevitable.

The deceiver is betrayed not only by the position of the eyes when lying, but also by uncontrolled skin and other parts of the face. The most common include: lip twitching, rapid blinking, or changes in skin color.

Lie gestures

Well-known experts agreed that when a person cheats, he performs typical actions:

touches the face with hands;
covers the mouth;
scratching your nose, rubbing your eyes, or touching your ear;
pulls the collar on the clothes.

But all these gestures can speak of lies only when other signs of deception are present. Therefore, the most reliable is the definition of a lie by the eyes, facial expressions, movements and behavior. By learning to diagnose a lie, you can avoid the fate of the victim and always feel confident.

As practice shows, the person who often communicates with other people is able to accurately recognize lies. He must also be able to soberly perceive the situation and events, be attentive and try to notice all the nuances and subtleties of their behavior. Rich communication experience and the ability to analyze will help to correctly perceive all the information received and evaluate its reliability.

Scientists have determined that the more habitual a person is to lie, the more difficult it is to understand that he is telling a lie. But if you know how to identify lies by facial expressions and gestures, and have experience in dealing with liars, then it is quite possible to recognize his insincerity. However, if a person rarely has to lie, then it’s easy to figure it out.

Facial expressions of lies

First of all, a person’s lie is indicated by his excitement, the signs of which can be caught in his eyes, movements and voice. You can see how his speech, gestures and behavior have changed. For example, the following speech and voice parameters indicate that a person is lying to you. When a person is insincere, then his intonation involuntarily changes, speech becomes more stretched, accelerated or slow. False information is indicated by a trembling voice. Its timbre may change, an unexpected hoarseness may appear, or, conversely, high notes. Some even start to stutter a little.

How to determine the veracity of information by sight

If you want to know how to determine a lie by the eyes, then a shifty look will become your assistant. Of course, this does not mean insincerity at all. Perhaps the interlocutor is confused or shy, but you should still think about the reliability of the information received. When a person is ashamed and uncomfortable with their lies, they almost always look away. At the same time, an excessively close look can also indicate that you are being told a lie. So the interlocutor monitors the reaction of the listener and analyzes whether they believe his words or not.

How a person's eyes betray a lie

When a person tells a lie, his eyes most often betray him. Knowing which movements give out a lie, you can learn to control them, but following the eyes is much more difficult. The person who cheats feels uncomfortable, and therefore looks away from the opponent. Watch the interlocutor: if he diligently does not look into your eyes, then this is the first sign of false information. But it is worth noting that many people know about this feature, and in order to hide a lie, they look a person straight in the eye, which, again, is one of the signs of deceit. Liars try to appear honest, so the look turns out to be unnatural. As they say, honest people don't have such honest eyes.

In addition, in a situation that is uncomfortable for a person, the pupil greatly decreases in size, and this cannot be controlled. Look carefully at the interlocutor, and if his pupil is narrowed, then he is lying to you.

There is another sign that you need to consider when determining a lie: pay attention to which direction your interlocutor's eyes are directed. If he looks to the right, then most likely he is lying to you. If to the right side and up - he comes up with a picture, an image. If straight and to the right - he selects phrases and scrolls sounds, if to the right and down - he has finished thinking about the situation and will now begin the story. But note that all these rules only work if the person is right-handed. If he is left-handed, he will look to the left.

How to identify lies by facial expressions

In a conversation with a person, you should pay attention to his smile, and if it is not appropriate, then this indicates that he is deceiving you. This is due to the fact that a person tries to hide his inner excitement behind a smile. If you carefully observe a person, you can recognize a lie by facial expressions. Liars are characterized by a strong tension of the facial muscles, which lasts for a very short time, only a few seconds. But, you see, it happens that the opponent lies with a straight face, which clearly indicates his insincerity.

Other indicators of lies

So, we figured out how to determine a lie in the eyes. Let's look for other signs, such as involuntary reactions that a person is not able to control: redness or blanching of the skin, frequent blinking, or periodic constriction and dilation of the pupils. There may be some other manifestations of emotions, individual for each person. They always accompany deceit and help you understand if you are being told the truth.

What gestures can be used to determine a lie

The psychology of lies is a great way to determine the plausibility of information. If you believe the theory of the American researcher Alan Pease, then the interlocutor, trying to mislead the opponent, often accompanies his speech with the following actions.

Touching your face with your hands.
A touch on the nose.
Eye rubbing.
Pulling the collar.
Covering the mouth.

Naturally, gestures of deception do not necessarily indicate that a person is telling you a lie, since they need to be considered not separately, but in conjunction with facial expressions and other factors that need to be analyzed taking into account the accompanying circumstances. That is, each reaction is not an independent indicator, it must be compared with other signs. And it is equally important to have an idea about the so-called background state of each person, that is, pay attention to his intonation, voice, look and gestures in everyday life.

How to properly analyze and compare details

To understand how to identify a lie by people's gestures, you need to communicate a lot, be attentive to others, be able to capture the smallest details in people's behavior, soberly assess the situation and events. That is, rich communication experience, the ability to analyze and compare all factors is required. Only in this case will you be able to distinguish truth from lies, focusing on facial expressions and gestures, and correctly assess the reliability of the information you hear.

Psychological portrait of a liar

There is no specific psychological portrait, since each person has his own individual signs of manifestation. The theory of lies is a set of patterns, taking into account which it is possible to determine whether a person is telling the truth or not. When you are talking to someone, your face is like a mirror reflecting what you really feel and think. Some of them have to be hidden from others, but this does not mean at all that you need to completely control yourself, because otherwise others will treat you with distrust, as an insincere and false person.

In general, it is not always possible to read his true feelings on a person’s face. There are rules that help determine how sincere your interlocutor is. First, you should know that facial expressions of the forehead are much easier to control than the movement of the eyes and forehead, which means that it is in the upper part of the face that involuntary features that indicate deception should be looked for. For example, when a person fakes a smile, he does not form wrinkles under the lower eyelids, which necessarily appear with a natural smile. Another point: a fake smile appears a little earlier than you expect it. Moreover, an unexpected smile always arouses suspicion. You should be alerted if the grin stays on the face for too long. When the interlocutor smiles naturally and naturally, it lasts no more than four seconds.

It has been noticed that many people find it difficult to look into the eyes of the interlocutor if he is deceiving him. That is why we do not trust a person with shifty eyes. The one who lies often looks away from the interlocutor, blinks more often than usual, or even turns away. Be extremely careful, as these signals may not indicate a lie at all, but rather awkwardness, confusion, or discomfort.

, ,

In nature, no two people are the same. We are all different. We see, hear and think differently. And we also have different times. And therefore, there is no standard set of lie gestures indicating that we are telling a lie. But if he were, we would have found a way to deceive him. Deception is noticeable when it causes emotions (excitement, fear or shame). These emotions are conveyed. But confirmation of lies must be sought in the totality of facial expressions, gestures and speech.

THE TRUTH IS SOMEWHERE TO THE LEFT

Lying requires self-control and tension. Tension can be overt or covert, but it's easy to see if you look closely at the left side of the body. It is controlled worse than the right one. This is because the left and right sides of the body are controlled by different hemispheres of our brain.

The left hemisphere is responsible for speech and mental activity, the right - for imagination. Since the control connections cross, the work of the left hemisphere is reflected on the right side of the body, and the right - on the left.

What we want to show to others is reflected on the right side of our body, and what we actually feel is reflected on the left.

For example, if a person is right-handed and gestures a lot with his left hand, this may mean that he is lying, especially if the right hand is less involved. Any inconsistency of body parts indicates insincerity.

“The brain is so busy inventing lies that the body loses synchrony” (c) Dr. Lightman, “Theory of Lies”

The face, like the body, conveys two messages at once - what we want to show, and what we would like to hide. Disharmony in facial expressions indicates a contradiction. Symmetry always speaks of purity of intentions.

For example, if a person smiles, and the left corner of his mouth is raised less than the right, then, obviously, what he hears does not please him - he feigns joy. It is also interesting that positive emotions on the face are reflected evenly, while negative ones are more noticeable on the left side.

DECEPTION STRAINS

A change in complexion (pallor, redness, spots) and twitching of its small muscles (eyelid, eyebrow) indicate what a person is experiencing and help to calculate deception.

Tension, manifested in frequent blinking, squinting, or rubbing of the eyelids, is an unconscious desire to close one's eyes to what is happening. With rubbing gestures, our brain tries to block out a lie, a doubt, or an unpleasant sensation.

How comfortable or uncomfortable the interlocutor can be judged by his pupils: their narrowing indicates discontent, their expansion indicates pleasure. And by the movements of the eyes it is easy to understand whether he is going to tell the truth or lie.

If a person looks away, this does not mean that he is insincere. Often the one who stares into the eyes, trying only to seem open, is not completely honest.

FALSE ON THE TIP OF THE NOSE

Unexpectedly, but a deceiver can give out his own nose. Speaking a lie, he unconsciously begins to move the tip of his nose and take it to the side. And people who doubt the honesty of the interlocutor may involuntarily flare their nostrils, as if to say: "I smell: something is unclean here."

The nose is generally extremely sensitive to deceit: it itches and even increases (“Pinocchio effect”). Scientists have found that deliberate lying increases blood pressure and stimulates the body to produce catecholamine, which affects the nasal mucosa.

Increased blood pressure affects the nerve endings of the nose, and it begins to itch. Gestures that are somehow associated with "rubbing", such as when someone rubs the eye, touches the nose and scratches the neck, indicate insincerity.

AND THE HANDLES - HERE THEY ARE

When the interlocutor puts his hands in his pockets and closes his palms, these are gestures of lies or insincerity: he is hiding something or not saying anything. Remember children: they hide their hands in their pockets or behind their backs if they have done something.

Hidden palms can be compared to a closed mouth. Experienced salespeople always look at the palms of the customer when they talk about abandoning a purchase. True objections are expressed with open palms.

And with a hand covering his mouth, a person restrains himself, so as not to say something superfluous. Afraid to talk, he unconsciously strains or bites them. Watch the facial expressions of your interlocutor: a pursed lower lip indicates a contradiction: the person is not sure what he is saying.

“People freely lie with their mouths, but the face they make while doing this still tells the truth.” (c) Dr. Lightman, "Theory of Lies"

The way he sits can also tell about the interlocutor. If he chooses an unnatural position and cannot sit down in any way, this indicates that he is uncomfortable with the situation or the topic raised.

Liars often bend over, cross their legs and arms, and seek support from outside by leaning on some object (table, chair, briefcase). Truthful people rarely change body position and stand straight when answering questions.

THERE IS NO HONESTY IN "HONESTLY"

Our speech is no less eloquent than the language of gestures and facial expressions. If you receive an evasive answer to a direct question, accompanied by the expression “to be honest,” then listen to the speech of your interlocutor. It is worth doubting his sincerity when repeating phrases like:

1. You just have to trust me...
2. Trust me, I'm telling the truth...
3. You know me, I am not able to deceive ...
4. I am absolutely frank with you ...

“You said once - I believed, you repeated, and I doubted, you said a third time, and I realized that you were lying,” the Eastern sages said.

“There are more pauses in a false story than in a true story,” said Professor Robin Lickley. Too detailed a story is also hardly true - extra details only create plausibility.

A change in the rhythm and timbre of the voice can also betray deception. “Some people are always slow on the next line. If they start chattering, this is a sign of a lie, ”says Paul Ekman.

When we speak the truth, we reinforce what was said with gestures, and gestures correspond to the pace of speech. Gestures that do not fall into the rhythm of speech indicate a contradiction between what we think and say, i.e. to a lie.

IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THE INTERVIEWER IS LYING:

1. Adapt to him: copy his posture and gestures. By mirroring, you will establish trust, and it will be harder for the deceiver to lie.
2. Do not bring him to clean water and do not blame. Pretend you didn't hear and ask again. Give the other person a chance to tell the truth.
3. Ask more direct questions. Actively use facial expressions and gestures, causing him to respond.

Cornell University Communications Professor Jeffrey Hancock, researching 30 college students for a week, found that the phone has become the most common weapon of deception.

People lie on the phone 37% of the time. Then come personal conversations (27%), online messengers (21%) and emails (14%). We feel more responsible for what we write than for what we say.

Outgoing people lie more often than introverted people and feel more comfortable when they lie and insist on their lies longer.

Psychologist Bella DePaulo came to the following conclusions:

Men and women lie equally often, but women usually lie in order to make the interlocutor feel more comfortable, and men - to present themselves in a more favorable light.

Men and women behave differently when they lie. Telling a lie makes women feel less comfortable than men.

Scientists have found that a person begins to lie after his thinking reaches a certain level of development, approximately this happens at the age of 3-4 years.