February 13, 2006
Do you avert your gaze when you lie?
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Word has reached me that one of the biggest myths in our culture is not as accurate a predictor of lying as we might think.
Most of us hold on to the belief that if someone’s gaze wanders about when asked a question, and if they refuse to look you in the eye, then they are lying.
But Prof. Michael Wheeler at Harvard Business School believes that tone of voice is far more reliable a predictor of lying that eye contact.
With the exception of sociopaths (who are expert liars), most people raise their voices in pitch when they are telling a ‘porkie pie’.
However, warns Wheeler, don’t confuse tone of voice with verbal fumbling. Contrary to expectations, people who are telling the truth have more imperfections in their speech, such as “umms” and “aahs” and tripping over words. That all comes because of spontaneity, whereas the liar tells less compelling stories, with fewer nonverbal gestures, perhaps because they are concentrating so hard on the words that they forget to support the words with nonverbal clues.
So next time you are asking someone something, don’t rely on their lack of eye contact and a wandering eye as a clue to them lying — they could just be trying to avoid a date with you.
Source: Psychology Today
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