Is your Member of Parliament lying? More than likely especially if they're Conservative!

Good Day Readers:

Before you know it candidates for the 2015 federal election will come knocking at your door pandering for your vote. Will they be suffering from Pinocchioism? Here's how to tell.

Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk

Experts share eight things to know about how to spot a liar: 'We're giving an edge to the lie-catchers'

Paul Luke
Monday, March 17, 2014

Life is a dance of deception, much of it consisting of "white" or altruistic lies designed to spare other people's geelings. (Getty Images/Thinkstock)

Kelowna, B.C., psychologists Michael Woodworth and Stephen Porter train judges, police, lawyers, psychologists and even the FBI in the art of spotting lies. “We’re trying to give professionals such as police a tool box of valid techniques for spotting high-stakes lies,” Mr. Porter says. “We’re giving an edge to the lie-catchers.” Reporter Paul Luke shares eight things you should know about the UBC profs’ work.

1. Deception is a universal practice. Life is a dance of deception, much of it consisting of “white” or altruistic lies designed to spare other people’s feelings, Messrs. Porter and Woodworth say. “We don’t know of anybody who doesn’t use deception. It’s a normal part of human social interaction,” Mr. Porter says. “We’re all going to use some level of deception through our lives and there’s nothing unhealthy about it. There are shades of grey that go all the way up to the full-on black.”

Woodworth say. “We don’t know of anybody who doesn’t use deception. It’s a normal part of human social interaction,” Mr. Porter says. “We’re all going to use some level of deception through our lives and there’s nothing unhealthy about it. There are shades of grey that go all the way up to the full-on black.”

2. Deception is an evolutionary adaptation. It can enable people to become successful in acquiring resources and passing their genes through social relationships. “Lying on your online dating profile can lead to more mating opportunities,” Mr. Porter says. On the flip side, you could become Bernie Madoff, the U.S. investment adviser sentenced to 150 years in prison for his Ponzi scheme. “Going to prison or being ostracized by your social group is not evolutionarily advantageous,” Mr. Porter notes.


3. People, on average, lie twice daily. At the same time, humans have what Mr. Porter calls “a truth bias.” We generally assume others are telling the truth — unless given reason to think otherwise.

4. Nervousness is not a sure sign of a lie. The untrained individual often pounces on nervousness as a symptom of deception, Mr. Woodworth says, but that can be a mistake. In what is called the “Othello effect,” a person may show signs of anxiety under questioning but be telling the truth. Any customs officers at border crossings knows this. “People start feeling nervous and guilty although they haven’t got a bloody thing in their bags,” Mr. Woodworth says.

5. Lying is on the rise. Narcissism, a personality trait associated with lying, has been increasing since the 1970s, research shows. Self-reported rates of plagiarism and cheating among university students have also risen in recent decades, Mr. Porter says. “I’m not a moral philosopher but I think we should keep deception to a minimum,” Mr. Porter says. “When it becomes a highly accepted or even encouraged way of dealing with others it will foster a huge amount of distrust.”

6. Always watch the forehead. Many people who tell big lies acquire a veneer of polish, Mr. Porter says, avoiding the stereotypes of fidgeting or excessive arm movements. But there is no such thing as a perfect, flawless lie, the pair say. Those trained to detect deception can spot the giveaways. Murderers pleading on television for the return of loved ones will try to mimic distress, Mr. Porter says. But the “the grief muscles” in the forehead — the corrugators — are difficult to control, he says. A lying pleader may accidentally activate a nearby muscle — the frontalis — which conveys surprise. he says. “People trying to fake distress may look surprised or astonished,” he says. “They look like deer caught in headlights.”

7. There are other signs. Mr. Woodworth says fakers unintentionally choose words that distance themselves from what they’re saying. Instead of saying “I” or “we,” they turn to words such as “anybody” or “somebody.” Even psychopaths — who are 2.5 times more likely to win release in parole hearings — may leak other emotions into the face when they’re faking remorse, Mr. Porter says. “They often show something called duping delight,” Mr. Porter says. “They enjoy pulling the wool over people’s eyes and a trained observer can detect a little smirk.”

8. Even the best liars fail, in some way. Highly motivated people with a lot riding on their deceptions will screw up more often, Mr. Woodworth says. “Keeping track of all the communication channels when you’re lying puts an extra cognitive load on a person,” Mr. Porter says. “You have to keep your story straight, watch your body language and facial expression. Even the most practised liars can’t keep leakage out of all the channels.”