These behaviors that we think are specific to liars but which are not really

For several decades, researchers have wanted to lift the veil on the secrets of lies. It is undeniable that fraud is scary, feeling duped hurts, and lying terribly disrupts our quest for truth. But faced with the obsession with flushing out liars, we sometimes end up targeting the wrong targets. A climate of paranoia that pushes us to see liars everywhere.

The team of Timothy Luke, researcher in criminology and forensic psychology at the University of Gothenburg, revealed several preconceived ideas about lying. To do this, the experts analyzed work published over the last five years by 50 experts from lie detection.

The lie cannot be read in the eyes

They say that the look is the mirror of the soul. An adage that detractors of lies tend to apply on a daily basis. Someone who looks at us fixedly, who doesn’t blink or who has a shifty gaze… In semiology, a discipline which studies non-verbal language signals, several techniques are based on gaze to spot liars. But Timothy Luke’s team challenges this belief.

Although the gaze is an interesting indicator for determining the intention of the interlocutor, it is not an infallible sign, according to researchers. “The only point on which a large majority of experts agree is that gaze aversion is not a diagnostic indicator of deception,” the authors note. We must therefore pay attention to other behaviors to spot liars.

The liar doesn’t seem nervous

On the surface, liars are often uncomfortable with twisting the truth. But this is not a general truth. For 70% of the experts interviewed as part of the Swedish study, they do not necessarily adopt behavior that reflects nervousness. A surprising discovery when we know that nervousness and gaze aversion are among the key behaviors believed to be displayed by liars.

“There are many types of psychological processes that can underlie it. We are not talking about the same thing. Even superficial things, like the duration and type of communication, are important,” argues Timothée Luc, researcher in forensic psychology.

The liar has no universal body language

In popular belief, a liar scratches his nose, crosses his arms or changes posture often. Body language is important, of course. But if gestures can betray, they do not constitute undeniable signals to spot liars, reveal the authors of the study. In reality, it all depends on the character traits of the person who is talking to us. “These beliefs also rest on fragile empirical foundations. The researchers found that the links between deception and agitation (body movements), the time it took subjects to answer questions (response latency), and the coherence, meaning, or fluency of their accounts (fluency) did not were not clearly established, we can read in the press release accompanying the study. Some experts have said that liars do these things more often, others less, and still others that there is no difference.”

On this subject, Professor Aldert Vrij, expert in the psychology of deception at the University of Portsmouth, points out that the most common misconception about deception is “that non-verbal lie detection works”. But what should we do if all the signals we believe to be universal ultimately fail to identify liars with certainty? For Swedish researchers, the most important thing to watch out for is the liar’s speech. Ultimately, it’s the words that count.

Mythomaniacs, special cases

If each liar is unique, mythomaniacs have common traits that can be generalized. A behavioral disorder theorized in 1905 by psychoanalyst Ernest Dupré, mythomania is characterized by specific symptoms. The first, although obvious, is the systematic use of lies. Unlike others, mythomaniacs cannot help but distort the truth. Another peculiarity: they do not know the difference between their fabrications and reality. This is why confronting them is not necessary since they sincerely believe in what they are saying.

Unlike the mythomaniac, a manipulator lies in order to obtain something from his interlocutor. Fortunately, therapeutic follow-up can allow mythomas to free themselves from their disorder. But they still need to become aware of their problems before initiating the process of going for a consultation.