Mrs. Covert's Spying Lesson #3 : Detecting Lies

Dr. Paul Ekman, Professor of Psychology, in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California Medical School, San Francisco, is a specialist in recognizing deception. He doesn’t detect lies by the words used, but by noticing what he calls "micro-expressions on people’s faces." A micro-expression lasts about 1/25th of a second. Regular expressions last half a second up to several seconds. A micro-expression indicates that a person is thinking more than would be normal in that situation. A micro-expression is a sign of distress.

Dr. Ekman gave an interview with the BBC

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/humanface/exp_deceit3.shtml

which is accompanied by a video of people intentionally lying about their opinion of the death penalty. The close-up of the forehead wrinkles is a useful tip.

Here’s another interview with Dr. Ekman: http://www.thismagazine.ca/36_2/freethink.html

in which he not only gives tips for recognizing lies, he also talks about how to set up conversations to prevent lies, and instead seek understanding. This is a most useful tip for spies.

Here is a website showing 7 common facial expressions, and the interpretations:

http://www.ehow.com/how_5311172_detect-micro-expressions.html

Larry Farwell has invented a Brain Fingerprint machine that works on the P 300 effect.   The P 300 effect is the name for the fact that most people react 300 milliseconds after seeing a picture of something they recognize. The Brain Fingerprint machine consists of a band of electrodes that goes around the head and a computer screen that briefly flashes pictures that are neutral, pictures that are familiar to the person who is being tested, and pictures that would only be known to the criminal and those who are investigating the case.  Evidence from this machine has been accepted in courts of law and has been used as grounds for a new trial or for proof of innocence.  Read more here:

http://www.legalaffairs.org/printerfriendly.msp?id=664

http://www.brainwavescience.com/MemoryIssues.php

Sometimes words will give a liar away. Here’s an article about how many liars avoid using pronouns, avoiding details, and unnecessary emotion: http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/news/111102_local_liars.html

And here’s a website that’s not scientific, but tells what most people think about liars:

http://www.weeno.com/art/0799/106.html

Read this and be sure you don’t do the things this article says liars do. It will help you earn trust from your suspects and help you avoid being taken in if they lie to you.

Sneakily,

Mrs. Covert