How to tell if you're being lied to - CIA method
What CIA agent methods can help you see a person lying (photo: Getty Images)
Lying is a part of human nature. In business, relationships, or even everyday situations, we encounter instances where people can be insincere. But is it possible to expose lies by relying on knowledge of the behavioral traits of liars?
Here are methods the CIA uses to identify liars, according to BBC.
Why do people lie
According to former CIA agent Michael Floyd, people lie to avoid unpleasant consequences. Lying can be innocent when someone embellishes the truth, or serious, as in attempts to hide important guilt, such as in business.
How to recognize a liar
Gordon Wright, a behavioral scientist, notes that the accuracy of detecting a lie is on average 54%. However, certain signs can help spot deception.
Myths about liars
Avoiding eye contact. Despite the common stereotype, liars often look directly into the eyes to appear more convincing.
Switching gaze. Scientific studies do not confirm the theory that eye movement necessarily indicates lying.
Signs of lying
Insincere facial expressions. Fake emotions are often noticeable due to unnatural facial expressions. For instance, a genuine smile affects the muscles around the eyes, while a fake smile does not.
Pauses and uncertainty in the voice. Liars need more time to fabricate stories, so they tend to pause more often or speak hesitantly.
Avoiding direct answers. A liar may avoid direct responses or divert attention by changing the subject.
Persistent assurances. Phrases like "I'm telling the truth" or "Believe me" are often used to hide lies.
Aggression and manipulation. A liar may display aggression or try to provoke feelings of guilt in the conversation partner to distract from their deception.
CIA methodology
Michael Floyd developed an approach to recognizing lies based on five key signs:
- Non-verbal signals
People who gesture frequently, touch their face, or cough may be lying.
- Avoiding answers
Making convincing statements to create the impression that everything is fine can also be a red flag.
- Persistent assurances
- Aggression
- Manipulation
Being aggressive or attacking someone is also a sign of lying. There is manipulation when people try to control the situation by repeating questions or making statements without providing an answer, such as "That's a good question."
"A smile is a good example. A genuine smile activates muscles that create crow’s feet around the eye. With a fake smile, you’ll turn your mouth upward, but eye muscles won’t move," explains Leanne ten Brinke, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.
Lying also requires significant mental effort. A consistent and plausible story is needed that doesn't provide too many details but also doesn’t leave out too much.
Liars generally provide less information than those telling the truth. They may also hesitate more or stop frequently because they need to remember what they lied about.
Importance of context
The context of the situation is important for analysis. For example, if someone in a difficult financial situation insists that there are no problems, this could be a signal to check their words.
Interesting facts
- According to psychologists' studies, on average, people lie 1-2 times a day.
- Lying activates brain centers related to creative thinking.
- Experts claim that women are better at detecting lies than men due to higher emotional sensitivity.
- Technologies such as lie detectors do not provide 100% accuracy in exposing deception.
- People most often lie in social situations to appear more attractive or avoid conflicts.
Previously, we wrote about the 7 habits that will make you instantly attractive.
