Research shows that our ability to detect when someone is
lying is just as good as an estimate or a guess. Perhaps, this is why lies get
past us so often because our guess is that the person is not lying. For most
people, the act of lying elicits several reactions because it takes the brain
some time to pause and not tell the truth.
Some of these reactions include an increased stress response
(think Brian Williams), a stance of defiance and dominance (think Lance
Armstrong), and a covering of true emotions, otherwise known as the truth
(think Anthony Weiner). Wouldn't it be great to know when you are being lied
to? Or better yet, that you could get a heads-up before someone starts lying to
you?
Lying is no more evident in public life as it is in everyday
job interviews. While we may not be able to immediately detect if someone is
lying, there are signs we can look for. The key is to put our eyes and our ears
into play to differentiate fiction from reality.
Baseline
When detectives are interrogating a suspect, they start with
a set of non-threatening questions and observe the suspect's baseline behavior
when answering. Then, they move to a
difficult set of questions and observe changes in behavior that are indicative
of deception.
For those in human resources management, this could look
something like this:
Where did you grow up?
What are your favorite hobbies?
What are your strengths?
Simple enough. No reason to lie.
Next, the manager could ask questions like:
What would your last employer say about you?
What is the reason you didn't finish college?
What are your weaknesses?
A little bit more difficult and a little bit more of a
reason to lie especially if their resume doesn't match up. In the first set of
questions, the potential employee will more than likely tell the truth. Then
comes the hard part. Do they pause, avoid eye contact, blink too much, move
their feet, touch their face, or act like their thinking with the latter set of
questions?
Breaking Eye Contact
Most people know that lying is wrong. When a liar is lying,
s/he will break eye contact to reduce the guilt. Holding eye contact can be
overwhelming for a liar. Lying takes more energy than telling the truth because
our brain has to pause and think about a lie to tell.
Conflicting Gestures
Let's say Jack is interviewing for the chief financial
officer position of your company. You ask him if he has ever gone bankrupt. He
gives you an affirmative "no" while at the same time shaking his head
"yes." Words may be lies, but the internal reactions within the body
and brain force our gestures to be more truthful.
Duping Delight
Dr. Paul Eckman coined the phrase "duping delight"
to refer to the glee that some people get when they feel they are being
successful in manipulating someone else. Lying is a form of manipulation. With
a lie, you may see a micro-expression called duping delight which is a smile
that comes across one's face when they feel they are getting away with something
(think O.J. Simpson). When you feel someone is lying, look for a slightly
suppressed smile.
Overcompensating
Language
If you ask a question and the interviewee replies with a
short story, then you are in for a few lies. Using too many words can be a sign
that the person is hiding something. Liars are good at trying to come across as
truthful. It is their attempt that gives them away.
Turn Away, Turn Back
Following an answer or response that is less than truthful,
liars will look away from you or pretend to be looking for something in a stack
of papers or on the phone before returning the glance. This is a tactic to see
if you believe the lie and will move on to the next topic, or if you doubt the
lie and will rephrase the question.
Credit: Daniella Whyte/inc.com
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