There has been a lot of research within the field of body language since historically people seem to be extremely interested in either being deceptive, or catching those might be lying. This guide explores the body language of lying.Traditionally there are certain signs that are associated with lying and deception.
When people lie, they get stressed. Their stress is shown in their body language. If you know what to look for, you can spot these signals and along with other non-verbal signals decide if a person is lying. There has been a lot of research within the field of body language since historically people seem to be extremely interested in either being deceptive, or catching those might be lying. This guide explores the body language of lying.
Traditionally there are certain signs that are associated with lying and deception. These non-verbal signals are then directly interpreted as a sure sign that someone is lying. Examples, are touching the nose, avoiding eye contact or looking down. Unfortunately, as much as we like to believe, these are not clear signs that someone is a liar. Extensive research on body language shows that all that these non-verbal signals indicate is that a person is stressed. When stressed, blood flows to the head and the brain so the brain can do more calculations and process the unfolding situation. This leads to the classic signs that we observe when someone scratches his nose or feels hot.
So how would you know if someone is lying? The important point is that you cannot rely on a single gesture alone. Just because someone is not looking at you doesn’t mean he is lying. A good liar may actually practice maintaining eye contact so much that when he is lying, he actually ends up looking at you more than what people normally do. So you cannot use eye contact frequency alone to decide if someone is lying.
To read a person’s body language, you will have to look for a series of non-verbal signals so you can make an informed decision. Here are a number of these signals:
Feeling Anxious
A liar may feel anxious as a result of being dishonest. Look for signs such as biting lips, making minor twitches, tapping feet or appearing generally restless.
Change of Voice
The person’s voice may change because of a dry mouth. This usually happens because a liar feels stressed and under pressure.
Appearing Distracted
A liar may feel distracted or preoccupied. He is worried that he could be caught and he might be thinking about his next plans. Looks for body language signs such as pacing around, fidgeting, looking at distance, appearing lost in thought or day dreaming.
Exaggerated Expressions
To convince others that they are not lying, they may overcompensate their non-verbal signals by delivering some expressions more often than normal or do it in a more extreme form. To read their body language, look for non-verbal signals such as prolonged eye contact, lack of eye contact, forced smiles, sudden movements, appearing too animated, appearing too still, hiding hands in pockets or behind them and general clumsiness.
Collectively, use all the non-verbal signals along with the verbal signals to conclude if a person is lying. Knowing a person’s history is also quite useful in increasing your confidence about your interpretation, though this may not always be possible if you are dealing with a person for the first time.
Top 6 Mistakes Made When Reading Body Language
Unfortunately many seem to make mistakes when using body language and non-verbal signals to the extent that their attempt in reading actually reduces the quality of the communication. In this article you will explore a number of common mistakes made when people read body language.
Essential Roles of Hands in Body Language and Non-Verbal Communication
Body language of hands works both ways. The way people hold their hands, place their hands, use their hands or show their hands can tell you a lot about them. Some of their gestures may not be intentional and you can use this as a clue to their emotions. In this article you will be introduced to a number of hand expressions and their meanings.
What do Body Language Images Teach You and How Can You Train Yourself on Communication Skills
If you are not aware of your body language or those of others and if you cannot read their non-verbal signals, you could be at a significant disadvantage in not being able to read their minds, while exposing yourself fully to them. In business this can have serious consequences as the other person can lie and it is critical to train yourself to improve your communication skills. Body language is an incredibility powerful communication method that many successful people employ to their advantage.
