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Facial expressions, emotions, how to find out the truth. How to recognize a lie from a man or girl? Detecting lies by facial expressions, gestures and eyes

Scientists have determined that the more accustomed a person is to lying, the more difficult it is to understand that he is telling a lie. But if you know how to identify lies by facial expressions and gestures, and have experience communicating with liars, then it is quite possible to recognize their insincerity. However, if a person rarely has to lie, then it is quite easy to figure him out.

Facial expressions of lies

First of all, a person’s lie is indicated by his excitement, signs of which can be detected in his gaze, movements and voice. You can notice how his speech, gestures and behavior have changed. For example, the following speech and voice parameters indicate that a person is lying to you. When a person is insincere, his intonation involuntarily changes, his speech becomes more drawn out, faster or slower. A trembling voice indicates false information. Its timbre may change, unexpected hoarseness or, conversely, high notes may appear. Some even begin to stutter a little.

How to determine the veracity of information by looking at it

If you want to know how to detect a lie by the eyes, then a running glance will help you. Of course, this does not mean insincerity at all. Perhaps the interlocutor is confused or embarrassed, but you should still think about the reliability of the information received. When a person is ashamed and embarrassed by his lies, he almost always looks away. At the same time, an excessively intent gaze may also indicate that they are telling you a lie. So the interlocutor monitors the reaction of the listener and analyzes whether his words are believed or not.

How a person's eyes reveal lies

When a person tells a lie, his eyes often give him away. Knowing what movements reveal a lie, you can learn to control them, but monitoring your eyes is much more difficult. A person who cheats feels uncomfortable, so he looks away from his opponent. Observe your interlocutor: if he diligently does not look you in the eyes, then this is the first sign of false information. But it is worth noting that many people know about this feature, and in order to hide the lie, they look a person straight in the eyes, which again is one of the signs of deceit. Liars try to appear honest, so the look comes out unnatural. As they say, honest people don’t have such honest eyes.

In addition, in an uncomfortable situation for a person, the pupil greatly decreases in size, and this is impossible to control. Look carefully at your interlocutor, and if his pupil is constricted, then he is lying to you.

There is one more sign that needs to be taken into account when determining a lie: pay attention to which direction your interlocutor’s gaze is directed. If he is looking to the right, then most likely he is lying to you. If to the right side and up, he comes up with a picture, an image. If straight and to the right, he selects phrases and scrolls through sounds, if to the right and down, he has finished thinking about the situation and will now begin the story. But note that all these rules only work if the person is right-handed. If he is left-handed, he will look to the left.

How to spot a lie by facial expressions

When talking to a person, you should pay attention to his smile, and if it is not appropriate, then this indicates that he is deceiving you. This is explained by the fact that a person tries to hide his inner excitement behind a smile. If you carefully observe a person, you can recognize a lie by facial expressions. Liars are characterized by strong tension in the facial muscles, which does not last very long, just a few seconds. But, you must admit, it happens that the opponent lies with a straight face, which clearly indicates his insincerity.

Other indicators of deception

So, we found out how to detect a lie by the eyes. Let's look for other signs, such as involuntary reactions that a person cannot control: redness or paleness of the skin, frequent blinking, or periodic constriction and dilation of the pupils. Some other manifestations of emotions, individual for each person, may also be observed. They always accompany deception and help you understand whether they are telling you the truth.

What gestures can you use to detect a lie?

The psychology of lying is great for determining the credibility of information. If you believe the theory of the American researcher Alan Pease, then the interlocutor, trying to mislead his opponent, often accompanies his speech with the following actions.

Touching your face with your hands.
Touching your nose.
Rubbing the eyes.
Pulling the collar.
Covering your mouth.

Naturally, deceptive gestures do not necessarily indicate that a person is telling you a lie, since they should not be considered separately, but in conjunction with facial expressions and other factors that need to be analyzed taking into account the accompanying circumstances. That is, each reaction is not an independent indicator; it must be compared with other signs. And it is equally important to have an idea of the so-called background state of each person, that is, to pay attention to his intonation, voice, gaze and gestures in everyday life.

How to correctly analyze and compare details

To understand how to identify a lie by people’s gestures, you need to communicate a lot, be attentive to others, be able to capture the smallest details in people’s behavior, and soberly assess the situation and current events. That is, it requires rich communication experience, the ability to analyze and compare all factors. Only in this case will you be able to distinguish truth from lies, focusing on facial expressions and gestures, and correctly assess the reliability of the information you hear.

Psychological portrait of a liar

There is no specific psychological portrait, since each person has his own individual signs of manifestation. The theory of lies is a set of laws, taking into account which one can determine whether a person is telling the truth or not. When you are having a conversation with someone, your face, like a mirror, reflects what you really feel and think. Some of them have to be hidden from others, but this does not mean that you need to completely control yourself, because otherwise others will treat you with distrust, as an insincere and fake person.

In general, it is not always possible to read his true feelings on a person’s face. There are rules to help determine how sincere your interlocutor is. Firstly, you should know that facial expressions of the forehead are much easier to control than the movement of the eyes and forehead, which means that it is in the upper part of the face that you should look for involuntarily appearing features that indicate deception. For example, when a person smiles falsely, he does not develop folds under the lower eyelids, which necessarily appear with a natural smile. One more thing: a fake smile occurs a little earlier than you expect it. Moreover, an unexpected smile always raises suspicion. You should be wary if the grin stays on your face for too long. When the interlocutor smiles naturally and at ease, it lasts no more than four seconds.

It has been noticed that many people find it difficult to look their interlocutor in the eye if he is deceiving him. This is why we don't trust a person with shifty eyes. Someone who lies often looks away from the other person, blinks more often than usual, or turns away altogether. Be extremely careful, as these signals may not indicate a lie at all, but awkwardness, confusion or discomfort.

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In nature, no two people are the same. We are all different. We see, hear and think differently. And we also have different times. Therefore, there is no standard set of lying gestures indicating that we are telling a lie. But if he had, we would have found a way to deceive him. Deception is noticeable when it evokes emotions (excitement, fear or shame). These emotions are conveyed. But confirmation of a lie must be sought in the totality of facial expressions, gestures and speech.

THE TRUTH IS SOMEWHERE ON THE LEFT

Lying requires self-control and tension. Tension can be obvious or hidden, but it is easy to notice by looking closely at the left side of the body. It is less controlled than the right one. This is because the left and right sides of the body are controlled by different hemispheres of our brain.

The left hemisphere is responsible for speech and mental activity, the right hemisphere is responsible for imagination. Since the control connections intersect, the work of the left hemisphere is reflected on the right side of the body, and the right hemisphere is reflected on the left.

What we want to show to others is reflected on the right side of our body, and what we actually feel is reflected on the left.

For example, if a person is right-handed and gestures a lot with his left hand, this may mean that he is lying, especially if his right hand is used less. Any inconsistency between body parts indicates insincerity.

“The brain is so busy making up lies that the body loses synchrony” (c) Dr. Lightman, “The Theory of Lies”

The face, like the body, conveys two messages at once - what we want to show and what we would like to hide. Disharmony in facial expressions indicates a contradiction. Symmetry always speaks of purity of intentions.

For example, if a person smiles, and the left corner of his mouth is raised less than the right, then, obviously, what he hears does not make him happy - he is feigning joy. It is also interesting that positive emotions are reflected evenly on the face, while negative ones are more noticeable on the left side.

DECEPTION IS STRESSING

Changes in complexion (pallor, redness, spots) and twitching of small muscles (eyelid, eyebrow) indicate what a person is experiencing and help to identify deception.

Tension, which manifests itself in frequent blinking, squinting or rubbing your eyelids, is an unconscious desire to close your eyes to what is happening. With rubbing gestures, our brain tries to block a lie, doubt or unpleasant sensation.

How comfortable or uncomfortable the interlocutor is can be judged by his pupils: their narrowing indicates dissatisfaction, dilation indicates pleasure. And by his eye movements it is easy to understand whether he is going to tell the truth or lie.

If a person averts his eyes, this does not mean that he is insincere. Often the one who looks intently into the eyes, trying only to appear open, is not completely honest.

LIES AT THE TIP OF THE NOSE

Unexpectedly, the deceiver’s own nose can give him away. By telling a lie, he unconsciously begins to move the tip of his nose and move it to the side. And people who doubt the honesty of their interlocutor may involuntarily flare their nostrils, as if saying: “I smell something fishy here.”

The nose is generally extremely sensitive to deception: it itches and even enlarges (“Pinocchio effect”). Scientists have found that deliberate lying increases blood pressure and stimulates the body's production of catecholamine, which affects the nasal mucosa.

High blood pressure affects the nerve endings in the nose, causing it to itch. Gestures that somehow involve “rubbing,” such as someone rubbing their eyes, touching their nose, and scratching their neck, indicate insincerity.

AND THE HANDS – HERE THEY ARE

When the interlocutor puts his hands in his pockets and closes his palms, these are gestures of lies or insincerity: he is hiding something or not saying anything. Remember children: they hide their hands in their pockets or behind their backs if they have done something wrong.

Hidden palms can be compared to a closed mouth. Experienced salespeople always look at the client’s palms when they talk about refusing a purchase. True objections are made with open palms.

And with a hand covering his mouth, a person restrains himself so as not to say anything unnecessary. Afraid of spilling the beans, he unconsciously tenses or bites them. Watch your interlocutor's facial expressions: a pursed lower lip indicates a contradiction: the person is not sure of what he is saying.

“People lie freely with their mouths, but the faces they make at the same time still tell the truth.” (c) Dr. Lightman, “The Theory of Lies”

The way he sits can also tell you about your interlocutor. If he chooses an unnatural position and cannot sit down, this indicates that he is uncomfortable with the situation or the topic raised.

Liars often bend over, cross their legs and arms, and seek outside support, leaning on some object (table, chair, briefcase). Truthful people rarely change their body position and stand straight when answering questions.

THERE IS NO HONESTY IN “HONESTLY”

Our speech is no less eloquent than the language of gestures and facial expressions. If you receive an evasive answer to a direct question, accompanied by the expression “to be honest,” then listen to the speech of your interlocutor. It is worth doubting his sincerity when repeating phrases like:

1. You just have to trust me...
2. Trust me, I'm telling the truth...
3. You know me, I am not capable of deceiving...
4. I am absolutely frank with you...

“You said it once - I believed it, you repeated it, and I doubted it, you said it a third time, and I realized that you were lying,” said the eastern sages.

“There are more pauses in a false story than in a truthful one,” concluded Professor Robin Lickley. An overly detailed story is also unlikely to be true - unnecessary details only create plausibility.

A change in the rhythm and timbre of the voice can also give away deception. “Some people are always slow with the next sentence. If they start chattering, it’s a sign of lying,” says Paul Ekman.

When we tell the truth, we use gestures to reinforce what is said, and the gestures match the tempo of speech. Gestures that do not fall in time with speech indicate a contradiction between what we think and say, i.e. to lies.

IF YOU THINK THAT YOUR PARTNER IS LYING:

1. Adapt to him: copy his posture and gestures. By mirroring, you will establish trust and make it more difficult for the deceiver to lie.
2. Don’t bring him to light and don’t blame him. Pretend you didn’t hear and ask again. Give the other person a chance to tell the truth.
3. Ask more direct questions. Actively use facial expressions and gestures, causing him to respond.

Cornell University communications professor Jeffrey Hancock studied 30 college students over the course of a week and found that the telephone was the most common means of deception.

People lie on the phone 37% of the time. This is followed by personal conversations (27%), online messengers (21%) and emails (14%). We feel more responsible for what we write than for what we say.

Outgoing people lie more often than introverted people, and they feel more comfortable lying and persist longer in their lies.

Psychologist Bella DePaulo came to the following conclusions:

Men and women lie equally often, but women usually do this to make the interlocutor feel more comfortable, and men - to present themselves in a more favorable light.

Men and women behave differently when they lie. Telling lies makes women feel less comfortable than men.

Scientists have found that a person begins to lie after his thinking reaches a certain level of development, approximately this occurs at the age of 3-4 years.

Very often, at my “The Art of Sales” trainings, I give my students the following task: “All communication can be divided into three components: “what we say,” “how we say it,” and “how we behave.” What do you think is the percentage of each component if they all add up to 100%?” With this task I want to show the degree of importance of nonverbal communication, communication without words. In my example, this is “how we speak” - the voice and its characteristics (tempo, timbre, pitch, volume, etc.) and “how we hold ourselves” - gestures, facial expressions, postures, gait. In percentage terms, “how we speak” and “how we carry ourselves” are 93%, i.e. the lion's share of the entire communication process.

Understanding the significance of nonverbal communication becomes especially important when it is necessary to recognize lies. There are no recipes for instantly recognizing deception. It is now established that specific indicators of misinformation are specific to each individual—no single indicator of misinformation is reliable for all people. However, it is still possible to recognize deception.

When a person commits deception, his behavior changes against his will. Moreover, it changes not only at the external level, but also at the internal physiological level, which allows us to evaluate the Lie Detector widely used in the West.

We can identify the main channels through which information about deception leaks.

1. Voice signs of deception

Pauses may be too long or too frequent.

Hesitation before the start of a remark, especially when answering a question, should arouse suspicion, as should short pauses in speech if they are repeated. The need to think about every word before uttering it - to weigh alternatives, to look for words or thoughts - manifests itself in pauses. When answering unexpected questions, a person’s reaction is very important: if he does not have the true information, then, as a rule, he pauses, collecting his thoughts and choosing the most successful answer. Such a pause in itself is a signal to double your vigilance.

You should also pay attention to: too quick answers to questions, involuntary changes in intonation, tempo and timbre of speech, the appearance of trembling in the voice.

2. Facial expressions

2.1. The main signs of deception by facial expressions

Signs that suggest that this facial expression is feigned:

Asymmetry. Both sides of the face express the same feelings, but on one side more strongly than on the other. This refers to the synchronicity of the work of the facial muscles. Discrepancy is a sure sign that a person, in fact, is not experiencing a feeling, but only demonstrates it.
Temporal characteristics. Expressions lasting more than ten seconds are certain, and those lasting about five seconds are more likely to be false. Most sincere expressions are replaced much faster. Except for the highest intensity of passions, such as ecstasy, violent rage or deep depression, genuine feelings are mostly short-lived, lasting no more than a few seconds. A long held facial expression is most likely an emblem or a mockery.
Localization relative to speech. If the expression of emotion after words is delayed, then there is a high probability that it is false. Sincerity involuntarily manifests itself in the harmonious unity of gesture and voice intonation, which film director S. Eisenstein called “sound gesture.”

2.2. Smile

There are two reasons why a smile may appear when deceiving. The first is stress relief. A smile is a universal mechanism for relieving tension in the nervous system. This is precisely what determines its presence in newborn babies, which young mothers and fathers sincerely rejoice at, considering it the beginning of communication, the first greeting. The mechanism of relieving tension with a smile continues into adulthood. An example of this would be such manifestations as a person’s “stupid smile” when delivering tragic news. Since deception is a situation that increases the level of tension, a smile may appear here. The second reason why a smile can appear in a situation of lying is the desire to cover up, hide your true emotions, replacing them with the most socially acceptable - joy.

However, it has been found that when lying and telling the truth, people smile equally often. But people smile differently. Experts identify more than 50 types of smiles. When recognizing deception, the following types are important. An oblong smile of the interlocutor (the lips are slightly pulled back from the upper and lower teeth, forming an oblong lip line, and the smile itself does not seem deep) indicates external acceptance, the official politeness of the other person, but not sincere participation in communication and a willingness to help.

2.3. Eyes

During normal contact, when people tell each other the truth, their eyes meet about 2/3 of the entire time of communication. If a person is insincere or hiding something, then his eyes will meet the other person's eyes for less than 1/3 of the entire interaction. At the same time, he will try to look away to the side, look at the ceiling, down, etc. In the case of questions related to information hidden or artificially constructed by him, the very first restless expression or averting his eyes may indicate a certain confusion, the liar’s desire to quickly find any plausible answer.

3. Conclusion

When communicating with a potential deceiver, you should not rely on just one sign of deception; there must be several of them. Facial expressions must be accompanied by appropriate intonations, words and gestures. Even if we consider only the face, we should not judge by individual manifestations unless they are repeated or, even better, confirmed by other expressions.

The absence of signs of deception in nonverbal behavior is not proof of the truth. Some liars make no mistakes at all. But the presence of signs of deception does not yet indicate a lie; some people feel uncomfortable or guilty even when they tell the honest truth. Watch for changes in a person's behavior. Remember that everyone has their own individual behavioral characteristics.

See also:

All parents try to teach their child to tell the truth.

Both folk wisdom, captured in sayings, proverbs and fairy tales, and Christian morality teach us from childhood that lying is bad.

At the same time, all children at a certain age learn to lie in order to avoid punishment, ridicule and unpleasant situations.

If a child grows up in a family that adheres to a gentle parenting style, he lies rarely and rather ineptly. But in a family with an authoritarian parenting style, children (especially teenagers) learn to lie simply masterfully.

And they continue to use this skill into adulthood. Sometimes in such cases, finding out the truth is critical, and if you don’t know how to recognize a lie, psychology can tell you the answer to this question.

Types of untruths

In adults, outright lies are less common than in adolescents and children - most people prefer not to tell the whole truth or remain silent in response. But this is simply a more convenient option for hiding the truth.

A person cannot avoid lying at all - too often the truth contradicts generally accepted ethics, politeness and even morality (how many people will answer the question of a not very attractive acquaintance “what do I look like?” with the utmost honesty?). Statistics say that on average each person lies about 4 times a day.

Sometimes this is a completely harmless deception - we don’t want to escalate the situation, so when asked why this appearance is sad, we answer “everything is fine.” In a couple of minutes our emotions will subside and everything will really be okay.

But not every lie is harmless - in the vast majority of cases, even a small lie in relationships between people can create big problems. Building a good relationship on deception is very problematic, so it is important for women to know how to recognize a man’s lies.

Research has shown:

That socially active people have to lie more often.
Extroverts are more likely to cheat than introverts.
Women tend to lie about everyday issues (the cost of things, etc.), and men tend to lie about things related to relationships (for example, a man with the best intentions can lie, claiming that he is satisfied with everything, but dissatisfaction will still erupt with time to come out and become an unpleasant surprise for the couple).

How do you know if someone is lying to you?

Some people are able to spot lies due to life experience and innate powers of observation. But the ability to detect lies is a skill, not a special talent.

Therefore, absolutely every person, thanks to a proven methodology and painstaking work, can learn to recognize a lie. For example, you can learn how to spot a lie by their eyes.

A liar can be revealed:

Frequent pauses in conversation, unreasonable changes in intonation, use of repetitions and interjections.
Direction of gaze and frequency of eye contact with the interlocutor.
Uncoordinated work of facial muscles (asymmetry).
Inconsistency of words and facial expressions.
Rapid change of emotions.
A specific smile (the lips form an oblong line because they are pulled back slightly from the teeth).
Active use of gestures.

When building a lie detection system, you need to take into account the individual characteristics of the “suspect”. Thus, a shy and timid person, even speaking sincerely, can go off topic, repeat himself and speak with trembling in his voice, while a cool and self-confident person can lie in an even, dispassionate tone without the slightest hesitation.

How to spot deception by the eyes of your interlocutor

Many people probably remember how, in childhood, their parents demanded during a conversation: “Look into my eyes!” Indeed, the eyes, like the “mirror of the soul,” can tell us a lot.

The studies have shown that:

When communicating, a sincere person looks his interlocutor in the eyes about 70% of the time of communication, and a liar – no more than 30%. An experienced liar will try to look you in the eyes all the time, which is also unnatural for normal communicative interaction.
Lying is usually accompanied by a gleam in the eyes and dilation of the pupils as a result of the liar's experience.
A lying person will look slightly down (if you imagine a dial, this zone will correspond to the interval between 16 and 18 hours). The lies of men and women differ in character, so it is mainly men who lie who “admire” the sex. A lying woman may well be looking at the ceiling (the zone from 9.30 to 11 o'clock, responsible for figurative memory).

In addition, stress affects blink rate, so a person who is lying will blink frequently during a conversation. Since lying is often accompanied by certain gestures, it is important to know how to recognize a lie by facial expressions and gestures.

Liar gestures

During a conversation, it is first important to pay attention to the person’s posture - crossed legs or arms indicate a desire to close themselves, and constant fidgeting indicates that the topic of conversation is stressing the interlocutor. When trying to keep silent about something, keep your palms closed as much as possible.

Lying may involve touching the nose, throat, or mouth area, rubbing hands, fidgeting with objects, biting lips, or trying to smoke. All these actions subconsciously distract the interlocutor from the dialogue.

In addition, lying is indicated by the discrepancy between gestures and the tempo of speech. At the same time, it is important to compare the usual behavior of a given person with the behavior that aroused suspicion, since all people have their own characteristics.

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Since there is no specific facial expression or tone of voice that can uniquely identify a lie, lies can only be recognized systematically.

Spring, time for new acquaintances. But how can you learn to understand people and understand whether they are lying? Scientists have identified a pattern: the more habitual it is for a particular person to lie, the more difficult it is to determine his deceitfulness. But nevertheless, facial expressions of lying and certain gestures of lying exist and we need to know them. This requires experience communicating with people and a high degree of observation. If, for example, a person experiences internal awkwardness because deception is unusual for him, then his insincerity can be recognized by many signs of lying.

Facial expressions of lies

1. When providing false information, a person experiences excitement to one degree or another, which can be detected in his voice, gaze, and movements. You may notice changes in a person's speech, movements and behavior. For example, when studying the facial expressions of lying and the gestures characteristic of it, it makes sense to pay attention to the following voice and speech parameters.

2. At the moment of announcing false information, a person’s intonation involuntarily changes, speeding up or slowing down, or prolongation of speech occurs. The voice may tremble. The timbre of the voice also changes, sudden hoarseness may appear or, conversely, high notes may slip through. Some people start to stutter.

3. Also, a running glance through facial expressions of a lie is clearly interpreted as a possible sign of a person’s insincerity. Of course, it can mean shyness, confusion, and something similar, but in any case, it is a clear sign that it makes sense to question the reliability of the information received. After all, when a person is ashamed, embarrassed by his lies, he almost always looks away. However, a close look at the interlocutor also allows you to recognize a lie by facial expressions. A gaze in the facial expression of a lie is nothing more than control over the reaction of the listener. How does he perceive false information, does he believe or doubt?

4. In order to recognize a lie using facial expressions, it makes sense to pay attention to the person’s smile. Many people have a slight smile on their face when they report false information. Of course, this does not apply to cheerful people who always smile and this is their style of communication. But it is precisely the inappropriate smile that should alert you. Often it is a grin that allows a person to hide his inner excitement when he tells a lie.

How to recognize a lie by facial expressions

5. A careful look at the interlocutor often helps to recognize a lie by facial expressions. Liars are characterized by a phenomenon called micro-tension of the facial muscles. Sometimes they also say: “A shadow ran across my face.” The tense facial expression lasts literally a fraction of a second, although sometimes it happens that the opponent tells a lie with a “stony face.” American researcher Robert Bunnet believes: instant tension in the facial muscles is an accurate indicator of insincerity.

6. Another indicator of the facial expression of a lie, which also allows one to recognize it, is the involuntary reaction of the skin and other parts of the face, which a person is not able to control. This may be a change in the color of the skin (the person turns red or pale), dilation of the pupils, trembling of the lips, and frequent blinking of the eyes. There may also be other individual manifestations of emotions that accompany deception, while helping the interlocutor recognize a lie by facial expressions.

Gestures of lies

7. Gestures of lies can also sow doubts about the veracity of the information provided. According to the theory of American researcher Alan Pease, attempts to mislead the interlocutor are often accompanied by the following lying gestures:

touching the face with hands;

covering the mouth;

touching the nose;

rubbing the eyes;

pulling the collar.

8. But, of course, gestures cannot be criteria for lying in themselves; they cannot be considered separately. To assess, it is necessary to compare facial expressions and lying gestures, analyze many other factors and accompanying circumstances.

How to recognize a lie by gestures

9. If you want to learn how to recognize a lie by gestures and facial expressions, then it is important to remember that each reaction is not an indicator in itself, it must be compared with other reactions. But it is even more important to have an idea of the so-called background state of a particular person. What are his voice, intonation, facial expressions, gaze, gestures like in his normal state?

10. As a rule, people who communicate a lot, soberly assess events and situations, are always attentive to others and, willy-nilly, catch the smallest details in the behavior of other people, are accurately able to recognize lies from gestures. It is extensive communication experience and the ability to analyze and compare details that helps to recognize lies from facial expressions and gestures and correctly assess the reliability of the information received.