The Social-Engineer Podcast
Ep. 217 - The Doctor Is In Series - The Truth about Detecting Deception
Mon Jul 03 2023Description
The episode discusses the commonly misunderstood topic of deception detection in nonverbal communication and behavior analysis. It explores the misconceptions surrounding nonverbal cues, debunks myths about deception detection methods, highlights the lack of scientific evidence for certain techniques, and emphasizes the importance of understanding physiological responses and verbal cues. The chapter concludes by emphasizing the significance of both verbal and non-verbal communication in understanding human behavior.
Insights
Misunderstanding Nonverbal Cues Can Lead to Dangerous Outcomes
Misjudgments of deception detection can have catastrophic consequences, resulting in innocent people being wrongly judged and sentenced. Jurors and law enforcement personnel often believe they can accurately assess truthfulness through nonverbal cues, leading to dangerous outcomes.
Eye Movements Have Not Been Scientifically Proven to Detect Deception
Despite popular belief, eye movements have never been scientifically proven to detect deception. Tone of voice and speech patterns can affect social interactions, but eye movements do not provide reliable indicators of deception.
Lack of Scientific Evidence for Deception Detection Methods
Scientific studies have consistently found non-significant results regarding deception detection methods such as eye movement analysis and fMRI. Polygraph tests are also unreliable and not admissible in court.
Physiological Responses and Verbal Cues in Deception Detection
Physiological responses measured by a polygraph are associated with stress and not necessarily lying. Deception can be detected through verbal cues and statement analysis, as well as by understanding the emotional intensity and cognitive resources required for lying.
Verbal Techniques for Deception Detection
Verbal cues, such as withholding information and inconsistencies in storytelling, can be used to identify deception. Effective questioning techniques can help uncover incongruencies between body language and words, aiding in deception detection.
Chapters
- Introduction
- Misconceptions about Nonverbal Cues
- Debunking Myths about Deception Detection
- Lack of Scientific Evidence for Deception Detection Methods
- Understanding Physiological Responses and Verbal Cues in Deception Detection
- Verbal Techniques for Deception Detection
- Conclusion
Introduction
00:02 - 06:59
- The podcast episode is part of the Doctor is in series with Dr. Abby Marono as co-host
- Dr. Abby Marono is the director of education at Social Engineer and specializes in non-verbal communication and psychological mechanisms
- The topic for this month's podcast episode is deception detection, a commonly misunderstood topic in nonverbal communication and behavior analysis
Misconceptions about Nonverbal Cues
06:43 - 13:54
- Misunderstanding of nonverbal cues leads to false facts being sold for profit on YouTube
- Hollywood exaggerates nonverbal cues for entertainment purposes, leading to misconceptions about their accuracy in real life
- Detecting deception through nonverbal cues is time-consuming and requires extensive training
- Psychology is not about mind reading or telepathy, but rather understanding how people think
- Misjudgments of deception detection can lead to confusion, misunderstandings, and unnecessary conflicts in personal relationships
- In a forensic context, misjudgments of deception detection can have catastrophic consequences, resulting in innocent people being wrongly judged and sentenced
- Jurors and law enforcement personnel often believe they can accurately assess truthfulness through nonverbal cues, leading to dangerous outcomes
- Misinterpreting facial expressions can lead to misunderstandings and strained interactions
- Nonverbal cues may not always reflect the true underlying reasons for someone's behavior
Debunking Myths about Deception Detection
13:25 - 20:32
- There is no one nonverbal cue that says lie
- Fidgeting and other non-verbals do not necessarily indicate deception
- Non-verbal cues are popularly misunderstood as signs of deception
- Books on deception detection focus more on non-verbals than verbal cues
- NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) is often associated with deception detection, but it is a separate field
- The founders of NLP did not claim that eye movements can detect deception; this claim was made by someone else later on
- Tone of voice and speech patterns can affect social interactions, but eye movements have never been scientifically proven to detect deception
Lack of Scientific Evidence for Deception Detection Methods
20:13 - 27:29
- Scientific studies have not supported claims about eye movement detecting deception
- PhD studies in deception detection have consistently found non-significant results
- Misunderstandings about lying behaviors, such as fidgeting and looking up and left, persist
- The left brain versus right brain hypothesis is a misunderstanding; the two sides of the brain communicate constantly
- Companies are offering fMRI deception detection services despite lack of evidence for their accuracy
- The Jeremy Kyle show used lie detector tests that led to broken relationships and marriages
- Polygraph tests are not admissible in court due to their unreliability
Understanding Physiological Responses and Verbal Cues in Deception Detection
27:07 - 34:20
- Physiological responses measured by a polygraph, such as heart rate and blood pressure, are associated with stress and not necessarily lying
- Deception detection theories have shifted towards the idea of cognitive overload, where lying requires more cognitive resources than telling the truth
- Nonverbal cues can leak emotions but do not necessarily indicate deception
- Not everyone feels guilt when they lie, and some people are skilled at self-deception
- Physiological states detected during deception are associated with changes in emotion, high emotional intensity, and stress
- Nervousness and anxiety can cause physiological changes even if no wrongdoing has occurred
- Anxious behaviors should not be automatically assumed to indicate dishonesty; some individuals are naturally anxious
- Deception can be detected through verbal cues and statement analysis
Verbal Techniques for Deception Detection
34:02 - 40:47
- Verbal cues can be used for deception detection and gaining information from someone
- Liars tend to withhold information and be less forthcoming than truth tellers
- Techniques like reciting in order can reveal inconsistencies in a liar's story
- Asking questions when there are incongruencies between body language and words can help identify deception
- Gaining more information through questioning allows for checking for inconsistencies and identifying deception
- Proper interview and interrogation tactics should focus on teaching effective verbal techniques alongside non-verbal cues
Conclusion
40:19 - 45:03
- Both verbal and non-verbal communication are important in understanding a person's behavior
- Recognize the limitations of non-verbal cues and use them to support verbal analysis
- Proper questioning is crucial, but be mindful of appropriateness and timing
- Previous episodes on statement analysis, internationalization, false memories, and conspiracy theories tie into this topic
- The current topic could be discussed for hours but will be summarized in under forty-five minutes
- Next month's topic is learned helplessness, which aims to help people
- Listeners' suggestions are appreciated and considered for future episodes