Eye contact won’t tell you if someone is lying. A psychologist says to look for these signs
We’re not as good at spotting liars as we think we are, according to psychologist Leanne ten Brinke. On Monday’s episode of the Diary of a CEO podcast, ten Brinke, who is the author of Poisonous People: How to Resist Them and Improve Your Life , spoke with host Steven Bartlett about her research into “ dark ” personality disorders like narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. As ten Brinke…
Psychologist Leanne ten Brinke revealed on the Diary of a CEO podcast that people are not very good at detecting lies, with an average accuracy of 54 percent. Many believe they can tell by looking at smiles and eyes, but these cues are unreliable. Ten Brinke explained that there are no research-backed reasons to think that sketchy eye contact indicates dishonesty.
However, there are reliable signs of deception: visible cognitive effort, such as excessive "ums" and "ers," or facial contortions while trying to figure things out. Another key indicator is the amount of detail provided in response to questions. People telling the truth often give more comprehensive answers, while liars may provide partial fabrications, focusing on tangential details rather than key facts.
Asking open-ended questions that encourage elaboration is more effective in detecting lies than relying on body language cues, as these are not accurate indicators of deceit.
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