A man who has been dubbed the “human lie detector” reveals exactly how to rumble a liar.
You may think you’re adept at spotting a faker, but apparently a lot of the usual tells are actually myths.
New research reveals that 89% of Brits believe they know the top giveaways, with a lack of eye contact claiming the top spot (64%), followed by delayed responses (50%) and a change of tone (40%).
Men and women also suspected behaviours such as fidgeting, sweating, scratching your nose and covering your mouth when speaking as surefire signs that someone is lying.
However deception detection expert Darren Stanton said these clues are not as clear cut as they may seem.
He said: “While most of us think we can spot a liar many of the classic tells are unreliable.
“Liars and especially those with a hidden agenda, find it very easy to look others in the eye.
“Fidgeting is another myth, if someone is trying to sell you a lie, watch for an unusual level of stillness in their behaviour.”
But the psychologist and body language expert shared his top tips for exposing the truth.
Darren said: “Change of tone however, is a good indicator.
“The voice may go up in pitch or even crack.
“Also look for scratching of the nose, back of the neck, or even picking invisible fluff from their clothes – all distraction techniques.
“In younger people, covering the mouth is often a sign of lying, it’s a gesture that’s saying: ‘I wish I didn’t say that.’”
The study was commissioned to mark the launch of the PlayStation 4 PlayLink exclusive Hidden Agenda.
Top three ways to tell if someone is lying to you:
1. Change of tone in their voice
2. Scratching their nose, neck or picking fluff from clothes
3. Covering the mouth
