Lie spotting techniques and deception patterns in TED talk analysis

¶ … Spot a Liar, a presentation given by Pamela Meyer (2011) as part of the TedTalks series, Meyer provides a lecture on the different types of lies individuals are exposed to everyday and the signals that present when an individual is not telling the truth. Meyer presents her lecture in an easy to follow format and provides examples and visuals that allow the viewer to better understand lying and how to spot it.

In "How to Spot a Liar," Meyer (2011) argues that there are two truths about lying: lying is a cooperative act and although people are against lying, they are "covertly" for it. The first truth about lying, that it is a cooperative act, argues that a lie is effective because the person that is being lied to is willing to accept what the liar is telling them. Furthermore, Meyer (2011) argues that not all lies are harmful and that these types of lies are often told in order to maintain a level of social dignity. On the other hand, Meyer (2011) also explains that there are lies that are forced upon individuals and transforms them into unwilling victims. These types of lies often result in monumental and disastrous events, such as deceptions that contribute or cause the deaths of innocent people; these types of lies often deal with national security as is explained by Meyer (2011).

In the explanation of this first truth about lying, Meyer (2011) explains that lying is an attempt to bridge an individuals ideals and fantasies with their reality. Additionally, lying is so intricately interwoven into everyone's personal and professional lives that it is nearly impossible to not be exposed to lying on a constant and daily basis.

The second truth about lying is that people are "covertly" for lying even though they are against it at the same time. Lying is a part of humanity's culture and history. Meyer (2011) also explains that lying is a biological and evolutionary construct and the more intelligent a species is the more likely they are to be deceptive.

Of the two truths about lying Meyers (2011) lectures about, the first truth is most agreeable because it requires participation from both parties -- the liar and the lied to. This type of lie requires that the liar be familiar with his or her target because the lie's effectiveness depends on the individual being lied to. The second truth is less effective because it also implies that lying is learned behavior, and as such, one can be taught not to lie through the creation of an environment free of deception.

In addition to these two truths about lying, Meyers (2011) also presents two patterns of lie spotting, which provides the viewer tips of how to spot a liar. The first pattern Meyers (2011) lectures about is verbal dodging, which is the manipulation of speech to deceive. Meyers (2011) explains that verbal dodging includes non-contracted denial as the liar transitions from informal to formal language to emphasize his or her lie, and distancing from the subject he or she is lying about. Meyers (2011) also argues that qualifying language further discredits the liar. The second pattern of lie spotting is body language. Meyers (2011) explains that there are certain body signals that an individual cannot hide when they are lying; for instance, while one can fake a smile, they cannot fake how his or her eyes -- crows feet in particular -- appear to others. Additionally, Meyers (2011) maintains that a change in vocal tone, body positioning, and head shaking and shoulder shrugging are also strong indicators of lying. Meyers (2011) places special emphasis on duping delight, or the uncontrollable instinct that causes a liar to smile when they believe they have gotten away with his or her deception. Meyers (2011) demonstrates how duping delight operates through two examples: one of a woman who murdered her children and claimed that they were killed by a stranger who attacked them, and a genuinely grieving mother, Erin Runnion, whose daughter was violently murdered by Alejandro Avila in 2002. Meyers (2011) maintains that although the presence of a single type of deceptive body language does not indicate an individual is a liar, the presence of a group of behaviors likely points to deceptive practices or actions.

During the course of explaining liars and the motivations for lying, Meyers (2011) focuses on contempt, a concept that she considers to be unhealthy. Meyers (2011) argues that anger is a healthy emotion because it places two individuals on an equal playing field. On the other hand, contempt is associated with moral superiority -- when one person believes they are better than the other -- which Meyers (2011) argues is dangerous because it means that the liar has written off the other individual and does not care about what happens to him or her.