CLUE 5
Timing Is Everything
If the person's head begins to shake in a confirming direction before or as the words come out, this is a good indication that he is telling the truth. However, if he shakes his
head after the point is made, he may be trying to demonstrate conviction, but because it's a contrived movementone not based on emotion—the timing is off.
Also look for hand and arm movements that punctuate a
point after it's been made. The gesture looks like an afterthought because that's what it is. He wants to get his words
out fast but realizes that maybe he should look really mad
and play the part. Additionally, hand and arm movements
will not only start late but will seem mechanical and won't
coincide with verbal punctuation.
If you wanted to convince someone that you were angry
when you really weren't, you would want to play the part
and look angry. But there's more to it than that. The timing
of that angry facial expression matters. If the facial expression comes after the verbal statement ("I am so angry with
you right now" . . . pause . . . and then the angry expression), it looks false. Showing the expression before the "I'm
so angry" line wouldn't indicate deceptiveness. It would
only suggest that you are thinking about what you are
saying or are having some difficulty in deciding how to
express your anger.
Also, someone who believes in his words will be inclined
to move his head on important syllables to drive home a
point. Whether up and down or side to side, the head movement is supposed to punctuate particular points and ideas.
A mechanical nodding without regard to emphasis indicates
a conscious movement. These conscious movements are intended to show emphasis, but when a person is lying such
movements are not part of the natural rhythm of the message.
CLUE 6
Contradiction and Consistency
Not only is the timing important, but we need to pay attention to the type of gesture. The woman who frowns as she
says she loves you is sending a contradictory message. An
obvious incongruence between gestures and speech indicates that the speaker is lying. A good example is the man
who tries to tell his girlfriend he loves her while shaking his
fist in the air. Similarly, hands tightly clenched and a statement of pleasure are not in synch with each other. Make
sure that the gesture fits the speech.
CLUE 7
The Emotion Commotion
The timing of emotions is something that's difficult to fake.
Watch closely and you probably won't be fooled. A response
that's not genuine is not spontaneous; therefore, there is a
slight delay in the onset of false emotion. The duration of
the emotion is also off: The response goes on longer than it
would in the case of genuine emotion. The fade-out—how
the emotion ends—is abrupt. So the emotion is delayed
coming on, stays longer than it should, and fades out
abruptly.
The emotion of surprise is a great example. Surprise
comes and goes quickly, so if it is prolonged it is most likely
false. But when we are feigning surprise, most of us keep a
look of awe plastered on our faces; this look won't really
fool an aware observer.
CLUE 8
The Expression Zone: Beware the Smile
That Doesn't Seem Happy
Deception expressions are often confined to the mouth area.
A smile that's genuine lights up the whole face. When a
smile is forced, the person's mouth is closed and tight and
there's no movement in the eyes or forehead. A smile that
does not involve the whole face is a sign of deception.
While we're on this subject, be aware that the smile is the
most common mask for emotion because it best conceals the
appearance in the lower face of anger, disgust, sadness, or
fear. In other words, a person who doesn't want her true
feelings to be revealed may "put on a happy face." But remember, if the smile does not reflect a true emotion—happiness, for example—it will not encompass her entire face.
SUMMARY
• The timing is off between gestures and words.
• The head moves in a mechanical fashion.
• Gestures don't match the verbal message.
• The timing and duration of emotional gestures
will seem off.
• Expression will be limited to the mouth area
when the person is feigning certain emotions—
happiness, surprise, awe, and so on
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