How to know if someone's lying

Do polygraphs work? Not really, experts say. Use these tips instead.

6-1-2008 National:

On the cringe-inducing hit show "The Moment of Truth," guests are shamed into horribly embarrassing admissions on national TV after taking a so-called "lie-detector" test.

But, truth be told, the polygraph is a crude tool that the esteemed National Research Council says has "extremely serious limitations."

"Polygraph tests do not detect lies," says Frank Horvath, past president of the American Polygraph Association. "They detect physiological arousal to psychological stimuli." That means the devices register a lie when the interview subject is just plain nervous.

Researcher Paul Ekman, author of "Telling Lies: Clues to Deceit in the Marketplace, Politics and Marriage," contends that the best lie detectors are trained eyes and ears. He claims that when a person is telling a lie for the first time and it's a big one, he can detect the lie with near-perfect accuracy -- and so can you. The trick is to figure out the verbal and non-verbal cues that are masking concealed emotions.

One of the telltale signs: inconsistencies, such as when someone is telling you no and shaking his head yes, or saying he regrets something while using an unremorseful tone.

New English research found another way to spot holes in a story: Ask the suspected fibber to recite his story backward -- in reverse chronological order. You'll also discover contradictions in his behavior and speech. ..News Source.. by Reyhaneh Fathieh