Body language when a person is lying. Determination of lies in the eyes. How to recognize lies in the eyes. How a person's eyes betray a lie

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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 HANDS THAT - 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 outside support 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.

It is always unpleasant to find out that you have been deceived. It is much better to understand when a person is not sincere with you, and not to become a victim of a liar. But how to recognize a lie? How to protect yourself from deception? In fact, it is not difficult, all you need is to know the signs of a lie. After all, intonation, facial expressions and gestures will always bring the deceiver to clean water.

Learn to read body language and gestures!

All people lie - it's just a fact, the truth of life, from which there is no escape. Trying to achieve their goals, others (and we are no exception), at best, simply hide the truth, at worst, they deceive each other in the meanest way. Therefore, in our harsh and cruel world, where hypocrisy and lies are all around, it is so important to be independent of other people's whims. In addition, there is something that betrays a lie with a head, exposes a deceiver - these are gestures and facial expressions. So why not take advantage of this?

A person, as a rule, does not even notice what gestures his dialogue is accompanied by, but, nevertheless, gestures and facial expressions are a subconscious demonstration of his true feelings, and if you learn to recognize these feelings, then you can easily expose the selfish goals of your interlocutor. Moreover, knowing the gestures of lies, you can learn to use them to your advantage, to hide your feelings from others!

The subconscious is always against lies

Our subconscious is simply imprisoned for the truth, that's how we are arranged. Even the most experienced deceiver is unable to control it. The subconscious gives out a lie, no matter how we resist it. Therefore, you need to be extremely attentive to the microsignals of the subconscious. To give out the true thoughts of a person can:

  • 1) micro facial expressions,
  • 2) eye movements,
  • 3) gestures,
  • 4) body position,
  • 5) pitch and timbre of the voice, etc.

What is really in the soul of your family and friends, what do they think? What do your co-workers or boss think of you? What do they feel about you? Is the neighbor's sympathy sincere or is this friendly smile feigned? What is hidden in the strange look of the interlocutor: disposition or disgust? What does the external coldness of the management at work indicate: indifference or contempt? Body language and gestures, the psychology of lies can give answers to all these questions.

The psychology of non-verbal communication has stepped far forward, today lie recognition is already a science that can be studied and used independently, without resorting to the services of highly professional psychologists. And it doesn't matter if it's a business meeting, chatting with friends over a glass of wine, or a romantic date - the ability to recognize a lie will always come in handy.
On our site you will get acquainted with the results of many years of research in the field of body language and facial expressions, understand how to recognize a lie, learn to distinguish between hidden criticism and approval, read gestures of sympathy for men and women, recognize the true feelings, emotions and thoughts of an interlocutor.

When it "pulls" to the left

To recognize deception, you need to look at the left side of the human body. It is the left side that gives out true emotions - the left half of the face, the left arm, the left leg. In the process of deception, it is very difficult to control emotions. If a person is cunning, it is difficult for him to “compose” lies and track his behavior in detail. Even if the deception is pre-prepared and carefully rehearsed, a person is internally tense, he controls speech, and not facial expressions and gestures. This tension can be obvious or hidden, but, one way or another, there are signals that this excitement gives out, even if a person diligently tries to disguise it.

So, what are the gestures of lying? Your interlocutor is not particularly frank with you if his left hand constantly dangles out of place, for example, describes circles or some figures in the air with absolutely no meaning. A similar “informer” to its lying owner is the left foot, depicting figures on the sand or asphalt, drawing some lines and other elements that are not related to the topic of conversation.

Why is it necessary to look for lie signals on the left side of the human body? The fact is that the right side is the most controllable. Our brains are wired so that we pay more attention to what we are doing with our right side. For example, when we notice that our right arm or leg is “behaving” inappropriately and betrays our nervousness or lies, we can make it calm down. As for the left side of our body, it is far from always amenable to conscious control.

Recent scientific studies have explained this pattern by saying that the left and right sides of the human body are controlled by different hemispheres of the brain. The left hemisphere governs speech and intellectual activity, while the right hemisphere controls emotions, imagination, and sensory activity. At the same time, the control connections cross, that is, the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body, which, thanks to the intellect, is more controlled, and the movements are more conscious. Therefore, everything that we try to demonstrate to others is shown by the right half of our body, and what we actually experience is displayed by the left.

Lie recognition. The alphabet of gestures.

The world-famous psychologist Paul Ekman made a great contribution to the field of determining lies. It was he who became the prototype of the hero of the series of the popular "Lie Theory" or, as it is also called, "Lie to me." The practicing psychologist is the author of such book bestsellers as: "Psychology of Emotion", "Psychology of Lies", "Why People Lie", "Recognize a Liar by Facial Expression". The basics, so to speak, the alphabet of gestures, we bring to your attention.

The first and most important thing you need to know is that the hands are the most insidious deceiver of lies. If, during a conversation, a person touches his face with his hands, this is the very first signal that they are hanging noodles on your ears. However, remember that it is necessary to evaluate the totality of the interlocutor's gestures, and not the innocent scratching of a mosquito bite. So, gestures of lies.

Covering mouth with hand

If the interlocutor is not sincere, then his hand will cover his mouth, perhaps the thumb will be pressed to his cheek. At such a moment, he most likely thinks something like: "Don't get burned!". At the same time, some may even cough. The main thing is not to be confused with the real flu.
It is also important to know that the same gesture can be used while a person is listening, and this is a completely different signal. In this case, he suspects you of lying or knows for sure that you are cunning.

Touching the nose

In fact, this is one of the variants of the previous gesture: when lying, a person subconsciously seeks to close his mouth so that unnecessary words cannot bring him to clean water. However, trying to control himself, coming to his senses at the last moment, he tries to correct the situation and hide the involuntary movement by touching his nose, allegedly itching. Agree, when a person’s nose really itches, he will just scratch it, his movement will be clear and purposeful, it will not be a light touch.

This gesture is also used by a person when listening to lies, when he realizes that he is being misled.

Ear protection

When the interlocutor lies "big" or knows for sure that he is listening to a frank unprincipled lie, he tries to fence himself off from lies, no matter from his own lips it pours or from the lips of the interlocutor. At such moments, the hand covers the ear, as if protecting it, or lies next to it. A person is either tired of composing himself, or demonstrates that he has heard enough and wants to speak out himself.

But do not forget that the interlocutor may simply have a sore neck, really itch his ear (it blew in the car) or watery eyes for one reason or another that is not related to the topic of conversation.

Talking through teeth

This gesture is a clear demonstration of deceit. The speaker does not want to let out a false “not a sparrow”, and tries to close his “birdhouse” (proverb: “The word is not a sparrow, it will fly out - you won’t catch it” - author's note).

But, as in the previous cases, this signal has a double meaning. Either lies or dissatisfaction. A person can be upset, upset, annoyed by something. Be careful: do not run into trouble, do not rush to shame him for cheating. Remember the totality of gestures, at least a few.

Rubbing the century

Men rub their eyelids while lying, and women, as it were, correct their makeup by swiping a finger under their eyes. At the subconscious level, a person wants to avoid the gaze of someone who can expose him.

Also, this gesture may mean that you are simply tired of your interlocutor: “My eyes would not see you,” he thinks.

Averting gaze

Men themselves are more balanced, and therefore they make this gesture only when the lie is serious. As a rule, representatives of the stronger sex look away at the floor, while the beautiful half of humanity looks at the ceiling.

Neck scratching

A very curious observation: a person begins to scratch the side of the neck or under the earlobe with the index finger of the right hand. Another fun fact: usually with this gesture, a person performs five scratches. This gesture speaks of the listener's doubts, his uncertainty about the correctness of what he is being told. Therefore, if, after listening to you, he says: “I understand you”, “I agree” and rubs his neck, keep in mind that this is not true, he does not understand and does not agree with your words.

Collar pull

Scientists have proven that lying causes itching in the delicate muscle tissues of the neck and face. Therefore, the desire to scratch, to calm these sensations, is natural purely physiologically. That's great: if the interlocutor pulls back his collar, it means that he is afraid that his lies will be revealed. The deceiver may even have drops of sweat on his face.

But! A person experiences the same impulses during anger, irritation, frustration for any reason. At the same time, he will pull back the collar in order to cool down, cool down, and not allow his own irritation to spill out.

So first watch the person. And if you want to "finish off a liar", there is an easy way to find out if he is telling the truth or a lie. Ask the interlocutor about what he said, ask to clarify or repeat, explain. This will surely force the deceiver to refuse to continue the conversation, to stop lying further. In the second option, you will receive confirmation of the interlocutor's bad mood: either diligently, but frankly holding back emotions, he will repeat the story, or he will break loose and release his anger outward - in any case, the reaction will be obvious.

fingers in mouth

This gesture indicates that a person needs support in something, for example, in a lie. These are “insidious games of the brain”, subconsciously a person tries to return to a cloudless, safe state in infancy, because then he did not need to be afraid of exposure, and even more so there was no need to lie. Perhaps the person is simply confused, he is ashamed in his soul, and he is looking for help and support. This is very similar to a gesture of desperation. Therefore, do not judge him strictly, do not reproach, be merciful, help the liar get out of a delicate situation, especially if this is your friend.

Lies and psychology. How it exposes speech, facial expressions and gestures.

After lengthy research on the topic: "Lies, psychology", scientists have compiled a set of clear rules by which anyone can determine whether his interlocutor is lying or not.

Edward Geiselman, professor of psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles, made a special contribution to research, and most importantly, to their accessibility. After analyzing more than 60 scientific papers, he has prepared a practical guide for security and police officers, which indicates the most characteristic signs of behavior that betray the truth. And so, the rules.

Brevity is the sister of... lies?

As it turned out, a person who wants to deceive, answering a question, in the vast majority of cases tries to say as little as possible. It would be logical to assume that such people would tell a pre-prepared story eloquently and convincingly, but no. The vast majority of liars prefer to be brief and to the point.

The trick is in the details

Despite the reticence of deceivers, they tend to spontaneously, out of place, delve into details. When no one asks them about it, liars begin to explain, to give explanations to the few facts that they mentioned. Involuntarily trying to give more weight to what was said, to confirm its veracity, the liar begins to delve into non-existent details, and his short answer is overgrown with numerous small details.

Repetition is the mother of... lies?

Before answering a question, as a rule, deceivers repeat it aloud. Probably to take the time it takes to compose an answer.

An inquisitive look brings

Liars usually pay close attention to how the audience reacts to what is said. They just need to make sure, make sure they are believed.

Slow means uncertain

Often, deceivers begin to speak in a slower pace than their normal speech. They think of something on the go and track the reaction of the interlocutor. Then, having finally formulated the thought, making sure that everything is fine, or simply realizing that an unusual manner of speech can alert the listener, they quickly lay out everything else. Saying what he thinks, a person is not worried about the pace of speech, it does not matter to them whether they speak quickly or slowly, but the deceiver is afraid that slow speech may seem suspicious. An honest person pronounces the beginning and end of one sentence at the same speed.

Doesn't agree, so it's cunning

Liars are significantly more likely than others to use incomplete sentences. They may start answering the question from the end and never finish the logical phrase. Sometimes speech is out of place so eloquent that no scientific research is needed, and so everything is clear.

Lie gestures

Speaking on “sensitive” topics, deceivers bite their lips, fix their hair or makeup, or itch. These actions indicate excitement, but not necessarily that the person is telling a lie. Gesticulation directed towards oneself speaks of deception; gestures from themselves testify to the contrary.

And again, insidious details

If you ask those who tell the truth about the details, they will provide additional information. Liars, on the other hand, try not to go into details, because they are ill-conceived, like the main lie.

Offense is the best defense

Speaking head-on that you doubt the veracity of the story, even if you do it delicately and, citing strong arguments, the deceiver will probably immediately attack you: “So I’m lying in your opinion!?! So what do you think of me! Yes, I am for you, and you .... Yes, how can you!..”

Of course, your distrust will be offended by the undeservedly accused, but he will want to sort out the situation, convince you, or, if you were tactless, he will simply be offended and stop talking: “I won’t tell you anything at all anymore.” But if you apologize and explain your doubts, he will be happy to explain everything to you, so that you understand. From the deceiver, for sure, only reproaches will follow.

How to recognize a lie for sure?

In order to finally ascertain the veracity or falsity of what was said, the scientists offered the detectives some simple technical tricks. We offer you one of them.

Step one: "Talk a liar." Ask the person to retell all the events, and in reverse order, starting from the end of the story. Let him tell as much as possible, in more detail, without losing sight of the details. This task can be quite difficult for a cheater. Even for a "professional liar", such a task is a serious "cognitive load". After all, he is forced to strictly adhere to the invented version, not to blurt out something inappropriately, to compose non-existent details and at the same time monitor the listener's reaction.

Step Two: The Right Questions. Ask the speaker the right questions. They should be without expected answers, do not compose an answer for him, do not simplify his task. Get the respondent to speak in detail. For example, like this: “Clarify this moment ...”, “Tell me more about ...”, etc.

Ask general questions first, and only then go into details. If he's already gotten off topic, so much the better. Ask a clarifying question about the details, returning to the point that was already discussed earlier. The harder it is to focus, the less time to come up with an answer. After all, the deceiver does not want to give rise to doubts in you, therefore, he will have to quickly strain his brains in order to remember what exactly he has already told. He simply does not have time to invent details. Anyone who tells a lie will surely get confused in his own story.

Step Three: Learn to listen. Do not interrupt the narrator, learn to listen. By pausing, you encourage him to talk more, to delve into the details. Make an interested face, sometimes pretend to be surprised or even frown, as if something does not fit in his story. But just do it carefully, casually. Believe me, the deceiver is closely watching your reaction, and a barely noticeable bewilderment that flashed across your face, literally for a split second, can plunge him into a panic. He will begin to stutter, stutter, blush, sweat, his voice will become quieter, the pace will become more chaotic.

Summarizing how to recognize a lie

And "under the curtain", let's sum up. There are a lot of signs by which you can determine the untruth in the words of the interlocutor. At the same time, you will probably find a whole “bouquet” of an inexperienced liar, while an “experienced” liar will pierce only one or two. An experienced liar needs to be “pricked” with unexpected questions, a thirst for details, etc. But this knowledge can be very useful, both in your personal life and professional, it can save you from big problems and bitter disappointments. So let's summarize deception point by point.

If a person is lying or hiding something, then:

  • 1. The expression of his emotions and reactions is somewhat slowed down, not usually. Speech begins with a delay, continues more violently, and ends abruptly.
  • 2. Some time passes between the words and the emotions that accompany them. For example, they tell you that you did a brilliant job and only then smile (after realizing what was said). In a person who speaks sincerely, the emotional coloring will be simultaneous with the words.
  • 3. The expression on his face is completely inconsistent with what he is saying. For example, you hear the phrase: “I love you,” and you see such a face, as if a person had eaten a slice of lemon.
  • 4. When expressing emotions, only part of the face is involved. For example, a person smiles exclusively with his mouth, while the muscles of the cheeks, eyes and nose remain motionless. In this case, the eyes really are the mirror of the soul, because learning to control their expression on demand is incredibly difficult. That is why the actors must get used to the role, live the story of the hero, just the game can be seen even through the camera lenses.
  • 5. When a person lies, he “shrinks”, tries to take up as little space as possible, presses his hands to himself, clenches his legs, squeezes himself into a chair.
  • 6. Avoids meeting your eyes.
  • 7. Constantly touches or scratches his nose, eyes, ears. Often with the left hand.
  • 8. Tries to turn away from you, all or just the head.
  • 9. During a conversation, unconsciously puts some objects between you: a vase, a mug, a book, a chair. Tries to create a "protective barrier".
  • 10. When answering, he tries to use the words of your own question: “Did you break your grandmother’s favorite mug from the blue service?”, “No, it was not me who broke the grandmother’s favorite mug from the blue service!”.
  • 11. Answers to questions are fuzzy, "floating", with a double meaning.
  • 12. The deceiver says more than necessary, adding unnecessary details to the story. When there is a pause in the conversation, he feels uncomfortable.
  • 13. Talking confusedly, jumping from one logical phrase to another. Speech becomes grammatically incorrect, sentences are incomplete.
  • 14. If you are convinced that you are being lied to, just change the subject of the conversation. If you were right, the person will willingly change the subject, and even breathe a sigh of relief, perhaps even out loud.
  • 15. Humor and sarcasm are actively used to get around the “sensitive” topic. The interlocutor tries to laugh it off, to get away from the question, on which he will lie.

By these signs, it is quite easy to determine whether they are lying to you. But it is worth remembering that they are best applied to people whom you know well. And why darken your life with suspicions, when the inconsistency of the interlocutor's speech can be explained by experienced stuttering, rubbing the neck - by yesterday's draft, fidgeting with the left foot on the floor - by a tight boot, and external nervousness and embarrassed look - sincere sympathy for you.

A little more about how to recognize a lie:


Telling the truth is easy and pleasant. Lying is hard. And cracking a lie is even harder.

Well, nothing. People somehow manage to delve into the Chinese language, into fundamental physics ... Can't we learn to identify deception?

The behavior of someone who wants to mislead the interlocutor

If you try to search the literature on the topic yourself, you will surely come across references to the research of Professor Paul Ekman. This is one of the most famous Western experts in recognizing the emotional states of a person.

In the book "Psychology of Lies. Lie to me if you can" (Peter, 2016) Paul Ekman names the main difficulty in recognizing a lie:

Too much information to consider at once. There are too many sources of it - words, pauses, sound of voice, facial expressions, head movements, gestures, posture, breathing, perspiration, blush or pallor, and so on.

This is the first. Secondly, it is not easy to correctly identify deception because the manipulator monitors his own behavior. He deliberately tries to dispel possible suspicions. Do you know that a liar's eyes should run? The liar himself knows this, therefore, he will try to catch your eye.

And - the third big "but"; Natalya Chernetskaya and Natalya Terentyeva write about it in the article “Why people lie” (“Innovative projects and programs in education”, No. 3, 2008):

There are no signs of deception as such - there is not a single gesture, facial expression or involuntary muscle contraction that alone and in itself would mean that a person is lying.

For example, protruding droplets of sweat on the forehead are guaranteed to indicate only internal discomfort, anxiety. Try to guess what caused it. You can sweat even from fear of being exposed, even because of thoughts about the iron that has not been turned off, even because it suddenly worked.

How to determine by facial expressions that a person is lying

We usually read emotions from the speaker's face. The deceivers themselves are guided by this principle, and therefore, with particular zeal, they try to fake the movements of the facial muscles. It's real, but not 100%.

Emotional reaction is involuntary. Even a very experienced liar shows his real feelings for a split second before he manages to portray an imaginary reaction.

An attentive listener has a chance to notice the signs:

  • guilt;
  • fear;
  • inspiration (to understand why these feelings come to the fore, read).

Intellectual tension leaves its imprint on facial expressions. "Liars should have good memories" is an English proverb. The liar needs to remember all the details of the invented story in order to avoid logical contradictions, and use it to its fullest.

N.B. Abdigapparov in the publication “The Lie of a Criminal: Non-Verbal Signs” (collection of articles of the International Scientific and Practical Conference “The Role of Science in the Development of Society”, “Aeterna”, 2015) reads:

The fear of being caught in a lie automatically manifests itself in raising and closing the eyebrows, in raising the upper eyelid and tightening the lower one, from which the so-called tick can occur, which, when looking closely into the face of the criminal, will become obvious.

Such facial expressions are typical not only for a hardened criminal, but also for a baby who accidentally broke his mother's favorite vase, and then decided to declare Tuzik guilty.

Sometimes a lie can be determined by a glance.

When a person is lying, they sometimes blink more than usual, look away, or, conversely, maintain eye contact for too long.

Posture and gestures of a person who cheats

It is much easier to hide body movements than to imitate facial expressions. However, middle-ranking deceivers usually do not think about the need to pay attention to gestures. Keep this in mind.

The following signals help to catch a liar:

  • change of position, fidgeting - the body seems to want to be somewhere else, but it is not allowed to escape;
  • crossing of arms or legs, which indicates a desire to close;
  • attempts to put your hands under the table and hide your legs under the chair;
  • non-functional movements of the hands;
  • self-manipulation, auto-contact behavior (touching the neck or nose, stroking the chin, rubbing the eyebrows, scratching the earlobe or wrists, covering the mouth with a hand, winding a curl around a finger, twitching buttons on clothes, etc.);

As in the case of shifty eyes, you need to remember about the ambiguity of signs. One liar will fidget in his chair, and the second. on the contrary, it will assume an unnaturally stable posture. The flip side of excessive gesticulation is stiffness in gestures, and so on.

Fine. With visible signs, we have more or less figured out. But it's not always possible to notice them. There are communication situations in which we do not look at the interlocutor.

Is it possible to understand that a person is lying on the phone? Telling lies while yelling into the kitchen from the hallway?

Voice features and speech content

The liar is given out:

  • hesitation;
  • frequent use of interjections ("uh", "hmm", "mmm");
  • word repetitions;
  • short and unfinished sentences;
  • monotone intonations;
  • raising or lowering the tone of voice;
  • very rare self-references ("I", "me", "me");
  • a high proportion of common words (“everywhere”, “everyone”, “no one”, “never”);
  • high or too low speech speed;
  • long pauses between the heard question and the spoken answer, as well as between their own remarks.

Once again, I repeat: the behavior associated only with deceit does not exist in nature.

To draw conclusions, you need to know well the usual communication style of a particular person. For example, the talkativeness of someone who likes to scratch his tongue for the sake of the process does not mean anything, and the excessive talkativeness of a silent person is a suspicious phenomenon.

The redundancy of the liar's speech is indicated by Marsha Petri Sue ("Toxic People", "Urait", "Alpina Publishers", Moscow, 2010):

A lot of unnecessary details or details may mean that a person has thought a lot about how to get out of the current situation, and has constructed an intricate lie as a solution.

Valuable leak of information - reservations.

D.V. Deulin, Senior Researcher of the Department of Planning and Coordination of Research and Educational Work of the Academy of Economic Security of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, tells in the article “Diagnostics of false testimony in written and oral speech based on slips and reservations” (“Legal Psychology” , No. 4, 2011) an interesting story: “Once I attended the presentation of the collection, where one of the speakers, thinking about the scientific nature of the collection, unexpectedly asked the question: “What will be the price of the collection?” And here he corrected his reservation on "value". Thus, we can assume that the questioner was more concerned not with the scientific value of the material, but with the utilitarian benefit from its implementation on the market.

Exposure Techniques

The individual suspected of cheating should be encouraged to talk.

Doubt the veracity of someone's words - take the initiative. Lead the conversation, don't go with it. Ask the person to repeat what was said, ask more clarifying questions - of course, not in the style of a strict investigator, but in a veiled manner. Try to refer to your own inattention and forgetfulness. It’s not a fact that a liar will get entangled in the networks of his own fiction, but he will definitely worry. Anxiety will cause him to give non-verbal signals.

Watch your language. Don't casually give away important information that the liar can use to prove his case. Don't let him see what information you already have.

Professional check for lies, or is it possible to deceive a polygraph?

When people lie, many physiological reactions change in them. These changes are quite possible to fix with the help of special devices. The most common among them is the polygraph.

Here is how it is described by Y.V. Osipov (“Modern technical means of lie detection”, “Bulletin of the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia”, No. 4 (56), 2012):

A modern polygraph is a portable personal computer with a sensor unit and sensors for reading information. In the sensor unit, signals are taken from sensors showing physiological processes, the signals are amplified, filtered and converted into a digital code for transmission to a personal computer.

Several sensors work at once, main and auxiliary. The main ones are three:

  • upper (thoracic) and lower (abdominal) breathing;
  • electrocutaneous conduction (galvanic skin reflex and skin resistance);
  • cardiovascular activity: pulse, pressure, blood filling of vessels.

The polygraph is sometimes called a lie detector - erroneously.

The apparatus only detects arousal, one of the explanations of which may be the uttered lie.

Maybe you should get such a thing and always keep it at hand? It hardly makes sense. Conducting polygraph tests requires serious preparation. Without a good knowledge of the features of the regulatory mechanisms of the human body, you still will not be able to correctly interpret the data.

The matter is so complicated that even professionals sometimes come to the wrong conclusions.

Aldert Fry, mentioned above, says that in 1986, a certain American television company turned for help to four firms that performed polygraph testing. The specialists were told that an expensive camera was allegedly stolen and suspicion fell on a specific employee of a specific organization. Each inspector was given a new name of a potential criminal. The "criminals" were instructed to deny the theft. They were promised a $50 reward for their efforts. As a result, each of the four inspectors confidently identified lies in the words of innocent "suspects".

Instruments, however, are improving. For example, in 2002, the production of thermal cameras was launched, capable of recording the exact temperature of the eye spaces in an IR image (it is known that a person who deceives someone has blood rushing to his eyes). This device itself processes the received data and issues a verdict. They will be able to use not only a psychophysiologist, but also, say, an ordinary customs officer. According to research, in 80% of cases, the device actually recognizes a lie.

Another, no less interesting, technology is being developed. When we think “to ourselves”, the brain sends language control signals. They can theoretically be fixed and deciphered, translating into real speech units. So far, the vocabulary of the apparatus is rather meager; inventors are trying to expand it.

I do not rule out that even during our lifetime, devices for detecting lies will improve so much that books and articles on signs of deception will lose all relevance. Is it good or not? It depends.

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Despite the fact that lies are found everywhere in life, there is a list of gestures that help to recognize them. This, in turn, is used to reveal the truth, and to find out the main nuances of the case that the person wanted to hide.

The easiest way to recognize a person who is telling a lie is video. It perfectly visible facial expressions, which are characteristic of a liar.

  • When telling information that is a lie in advance, a person constantly experiences excitement. It is easily caught in the sound of a voice, a running glance, a sharp change in movements. When a lie is announced, a person abruptly begins to involuntarily change intonation. There is a sharp acceleration in the voice or, conversely, a smooth slowdown in the conversation and stretching.
  • If a person is very worried about the information that he conveys, the voice of the interlocutor will tremble. At the same time, changes in combination with other signs affect the timbre and volume of the voice, hoarseness appears, or a person pronounces words in high notes.
  • Another sign by which it is easy to determine that they are lying to you is the appearance of a shifty glance. Such behavior is interpreted as a natural sign of a manifestation of insincerity of a person. True, if you are interviewing a candidate or caught people in an awkward situation, then a shifty look means shyness and even a kind of anxiety. If this happens when discussing a personal issue, the reliability of the information provided by people should still be checked and treated with doubt. This behavior is primarily associated with a state of shame, as it becomes embarrassing for the uttered lie.
  • Experts in the civil service easily determine whether a person is lying or not by his smile. When people reproduce false information, a smile may involuntarily appear on their faces. There are also cheerful people for whom such a demeanor is the norm, but for the rest, an inappropriate smile expresses a lie in relation to the question asked. This is explained by the fact that, thanks to a slight smile, a person manages to internally hide his excitement and pronounce a lie much more believably.

Mimicry that indicates a lie

In addition to external excitement and a shifty look, you can determine a lie with the help of signs on the face. If you take a close look at the interlocutor, then pay attention to the microtension along the contour of the facial muscles. On this occasion, they say about a lying person that “a shadow ran across his face”. Such tension on the face lasts literally 1-2 seconds. Experts note that the manifestation of instant tension in the facial muscles is an accurate indicator of insincerity.

Of the other indicators in the facial expressions of a lie that recognize lies, is the appearance of an involuntary reaction on the skin and other parts of the face of the interlocutor. Here, a change in the color shade of the skin is taken into account (the interlocutor will turn red or turn pale), the pupils dilate, the lips tremble, and both eyes blink frequently. However, the change in color and facial expressions do not end with the factors for determining lies. Gestures are of great importance for determining that the interlocutor uttered a lie.

What human gestures cannot be trusted

American researchers conducted a large number of experiments, during which they were able to identify those gestures that indicate a lie. The main ones are:

  • involuntary touching of the face with a hand;
  • covering the mouth with hands;
  • constant rubbing or any other touching of the nose;
  • gestures in the eye area (rubbing, touching the eyelids);
  • periodic pulling of the collar of a shirt or sweater.

By gestures, you will understand at which point in the conversation they will lie to you. In principle, a person can show both lies and his uncertainty with gestures. In this case, an example is a regular interview. When announcing duties, a person is often simply not sure that he will fulfill all the duties assigned to him. However, in other cases, involuntary gestures should be trusted and clarified what the person is hiding from you.

One of the main points is the understanding that gestures and facial expressions should be trusted only if their manifestations are systemic. To put it simply, gestures will never become a specific criterion for determining lies. For a full assessment, experts record a person on video and compare facial expressions and gestures.

How to stimulate the expression of facial expressions and gestures during a lie

If the interlocutor introduced himself as a calm person and it is impossible to read on his face whether he is trying to lie or not, you need to bring the interlocutor out of balance.

  • First of all, this is easy to do with the help of leading questions. At the same time, questions should be asked in such a way that, in the case of an honest person, he did not recognize the trick, and the liar, on the contrary, had the feeling that he was caught, and you already know all the information.
  • During a conversation, ask the interlocutor for advice for a friend who finds himself in an awkward situation in which the person opposite is suspected. If you have a sincere interlocutor in front of you, then he will give advice, as he thinks, and it will not be possible to recognize changes in gestures and facial expressions on him. If the interlocutor decided to deceive, he will begin to awkwardly joke and get nervous.
  • In addition, another technique is to tell a person that you can and masterfully master the tools for recognizing lies by gestures and facial expressions. Then the person will be afraid of being exposed, and will show just the signs of a liar - he will periodically look to the sides, fiddle with his tie or collar, erect obstacles from objects on the table between you.

How to recognize a lie

To recognize whether the interlocutor actually lied or not, the following reaction will help you:

  • Change in expression of emotions and slowing down of reaction. Speech can start incoherently and end abruptly.
  • There is little time between the spoken words and the accompanying emotion. A person who speaks to you in a sincere tone immediately shows an emotional coloring along with the spoken words.
  • If the expression on the face of the interlocutor does not agree with what has just been said, he is lying.
  • In the case when, when expressing emotions on a person’s face, only a slight smile appears or only facial muscles are involved, it means that he is hiding something from you.
  • When a person tells a lie, he seems to be physically trying to "shrink". This is accompanied by an attempt to take up as little space as possible in the chair, with one movement to press your hands to yourself and take an uncomfortable position for sitting.
  • The interlocutor avoids meeting your eyes.
  • Constantly touches or scratches their ears, eyes, or nose.
  • Periodically turns away from you, while tilting both his head and the entire body. This symbolizes an unpleasant course of conversation for the interlocutor on a given topic.
  • When talking, he unconsciously places objects between himself and you: a napkin, a vase, wine glasses, a chair. Thus, a person creates a kind of "protective barrier" around him.
  • During the answer to the specified question, he uses only those words that he heard from the question itself.
  • Gives much more detail and answers the question far more extensively than is generally required. Thus, he tries to better mask the thoughtful lie with other facts that supposedly will divert the interlocutor's attention.

Knowing the list of changes in the behavior and facial expressions of people indicated in the article, you can accurately determine whether they are telling you a lie or not.

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:

  1. 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.
  2. P scratches the nose. This gesture should be treated with caution, as the nose can often itch and just like that.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. When a woman lies, she usually begins to carefully put herself in order, diligently paint her lips, comb her hair (sharply and quickly).
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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).
  10. 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.
  11. You observe a knee tremor in the interlocutor, which he tries to restrain, but in vain: trembling is strangely indefatigable.
  12. H the person you are talking to adjusts the laces or collar. Yes, this can be observed, in our time, often.
  13. The interlocutor put his hands in the inguinal region (not on purpose, of course, but somehow by accident, unconsciously).
  14. The one with whom you communicate very often changes posture. You may get the impression that you have an uncomfortable sofa or chair.
  15. 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.
  16. Coughs often. Apparently, something dissuades him from lying, not allowing him to say a word.
  17. P ri smoking, very often delayed. So the cigarette turned out to be a good "detective".
  18. P barks his hands (hides them wherever possible).
  19. 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.
  20. If the interlocutor crosses legs and arms- he fences himself off from you so that it is easier to deceive.
  21. The head is tilted back or down - this is a huge desire to hide from you.
  22. Man, during the deception, holds his breath.
  23. 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.
  24. 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 when it “appears” during a “necessary situation” that requires you to lie, you can’t run away from it at all.