How good are you at spotting lies? Can you pick up on both verbal and non-verbal clues when trying to decipher the veracity of statements? If you’ve been on the job for a while, you’ve likely learned a lot about spotting lies. However it’s always good to review some of the sings to watch for when trying to catch someone not being truthful.
A former colleague of mine, retired FBI Special Agent Mark Bouton, wrote a book on the subject. It’s called How To Spot Lies Like the FBI. One of the more important topics Mark writes about involves field stops. How do we recognize the signs someone displays that warn us he's about to flee? Some are easy to spot: looking around instead of looking at us; heart racing for no apparent reason; or perhaps breaking out in a sweat, even though the weather is cold. If your suspect's jaw muscles tighten, his lips compress or form a sneer, or if his face reddens, brace yourself, he's about to run. Watch his eyes, if they narrow and his eyebrows draw closer together, making a vertical furrow in his forehead, he's about to rabbit. If you see a brief flash of an angry expression and then the suspect suddenly looks calm, be wary of him as his micro expression has signaled his true feelings.
Just as important as facial expressions are clues to lying and deception - body language is an equally good indicator. Being cognizant of how a suspect subconsciously signals he's about to attack is critically important. Signs to watch that could signal possible aggressiveness include clenched fists, chin thrust forward or raised and looking down at you. Other signs include posturing with the chest expanded, a sudden big intake of air, or feet moved to a defensive position. A suspect may also blade his body to you as a defensive and offensive fighting position.
When we're involved in an interview or interrogation in a controlled environment, e.g., in the police facility, interpreting body language can be of valuable assistance. Being able to watch the individual's entire body as he responds to questions, as well as immediately after he answers, can offer clear indicators that a suspect is lying. Some of these gestures include involuntary touching of parts of the body. If during or after he answers your question he places a finger or hand over or beside his mouth, he has just subconsciously negated what he's told you. In addition, a liar may get a sweaty or itchy neck during the interview, and when he rubs the back of his neck to alleviate those discomforts, he's sending a clear message that he's just been untruthful.
Another former agent, J.J. Newberry, U.S. Treasury, advises that too much detail when answering could mean they’ve put a lot of thought into how they’re going to get out of a situation and they’ve crafted a complicated lie as a solution.
Chemicals called catecholamines are released in the body when someone lies, causing the person's facial area to itch. He will unconsciously scratch his chin, or more commonly, the side of his face. Moreover, the nose is also sensitive to the release of chemicals when telling a lie, and there will be a slight, imperceptible swelling of it accompanied by an itchy feeling. When a person touches his nose, scratches it, or rubs his finger vigorously beneath it during the interview, he's signaling a lack of candor. Similarly, if he rubs his eye, it's a potential signal that he's not being truthful.
In police work, a person’s eyes can help us determine deception. People normally maintain eye contact during a conversation about sixty percent of the time. Some will avert their eyes every time they lie. The usual blinking rate is about five to six times per minute, or every ten to twelve seconds. When someone blinks more rapidly, or gives several blinks in quick succession, it's a good indicator that they're not telling the truth. Another signal of deceit is when an interviewee closes his eyes for several seconds before, during, or after answering a question. Their eyelids may even flutter during this closure.
Postures that indicate a person doesn't want to answer questions include leaning away from you, stiffness of the body, crossing the arms on the chest, turning sideways to you, wrapping an ankle around a chair leg, or extending a foot forward as they slouch in a chair and turning that foot on its side. Bouncing or swinging of the foot of a crossed leg indicates nervousness and possible lack of candor. If a suspect turns his body with his feet pointing toward an exit, he's sending a subconscious signal that he wants to get away from the current situation.
What about sociopaths? People who are sociopaths are less likely to be as stressed while lying than the normal individual. They won't have the increased heart rate, higher blood pressure, rapid respiration rate, and increased rate of perspiration that people ordinarily exhibit when they're under the stress of lying to a police officer. Also, people who have narcissistic or dissociative personality disorders will react differently when lying.
Being able to identify lying and deception is not only important on the job, it can also come in handy when we're off-duty. Think about dealing with sales people, repairmen, neighbors, even our own family members. Psychological tests indicate that about ninety-one percent of people admit to lying on an almost daily basis. College students lie to their parents in about every other conversation. Children will first conjure up a successful lie at about age five. It's part of growing up and establishing a separate and distinct personality. Until then, they'll exhibit many signs associated with lying such as holding their hands behinds their backs, shuffling side-to-side, looking away, hesitating before answering, stammering, using "ers" and "uhs" more than usual, and touching their mouth or nose.
It’s axiomatic that many people will lie to the police more often than not. If you’re able to spot a lie immediately, it puts you at an advantage. Look and listen for the signs of dishonesty, on and off the job. Your life will become less stressful.
Stay Safe, Brothers and Sisters!
John Wills
John M. Wills is a former Chicago police officer and retired FBI agent. He is a freelance writer and award-winning author in a variety of genres, including novels, short stories and poetry. John also writes book reviews for the New York Journal of Books, and is a member of the National Book Critics Circle. His new book, The Year Without Christmas, is available now. Visit John at: www.johnmwills.com.
