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The accuracy of polygraphs is disputed, but the “Pinocchio Effect” test, which uses a thermographic camera to detect changes in body heat around the nose and eyes, may be more accurate. Other signs of lying include inconsistent stories, insincere emotions, and too much detail.
Judges, defense attorneys, injured spouses, and suspicious parents wish they could know conclusively whether a certain person is lying. The polygraph, or lie detector, is a machine that purports to tell testers whether or not the test subject is lying. However, depending on who you ask, the machine’s accuracy ranges from about 70 to 90 percent, which is why polygraph results are rarely admissible in court. However, as we learned from Pinocchio, an individual’s nose may hold the key to whether he is telling the truth. So, is there a surefire way to tell when someone is lying? Answers are as varied as opinions about polygraph accuracy. The Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Granada thinks they know a fairly accurate test. Dubbed the “Pinocchio Effect,” the test involves a thermographic camera that shows changes in body heat. Their findings indicate that when a person lies, the area around the nose and eyes heats up. The thermal imaging camera can detect when the area around the nose gets warm, potentially revealing when people are lying about their feelings. Most courtrooms, however, do not have these cameras for their witnesses, so methods for determining whether a person is lying will continue to develop.
Some ways to tell if a person is lying:
Inconsistent story. Someone who lies can tell a story with unsolvable inconsistencies. This is a good indication that the person is not telling the truth.
Look for emotions that seem insincere. For example, you look at a person smiling and see if the smile matches the rest of their face. Another fake emotional display involves “crocodile tears,” where someone might cry, but the emotions aren’t real.
Too much detail says too little. Someone who has an extremely detailed story to tell about a potentially fictitious event may have put a lot of thought into it, and therefore will include a lot of unimportant details.
