NCJ Number
189608
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 70 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2001 Pages: 9-13
Date Published
July 2001
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article discusses skills to help officers determine the truthfulness of people they interview.
Abstract
Detecting deception is difficult, but investigators can increase the odds of success by learning a few basic nonverbal and verbal cues indicative of lying. Feet that fidget or point to the door communicate discomfort. Eye aversion during difficult questions and head and body movements that are inconsistent with the spoken word can indicate distress or deception. Truthful people tend to lean forward as they converse; liars tend to move away. Irregular breathing patterns, an absence of hand gestures, and yawning during stressful situations can also indicate deception. Verbal cues to concealment or deception include "text bridges" that may gloss over a sensitive topic between segments of truthful discussion. Stalling tactics, such as asking the investigator to repeat questions, are frequently used by deceivers to gain additional time to think of an appropriate answer. Guilty people often avoid using contractions, rarely include negative details in their explanation of events, and usually continue talking until they confirm that the listener accepts their version as the truth. While no particular behavior in and of itself indicates deception, investigators who learn and routinely employ basic interviewing skills can form more accurate opinions of people they evaluate. Notes