Micro Expressions, Subtle Body Language and Lying

Is the show "Lie to Me" for real?

I am not a police interrogator, scientist, or other expert... I am however a mother & people
watcher.
Years ago, when I wrote articles on How to Detect Lies & Eye Movement and Lying -- I knew of
the Micro expression theory, but had a difficult time researching the subject well enough to relay
it into an article.
Recently, I've come across tons of new research, websites, articles, videos, etc. about micro
expressions and believe anyone who reads my old articles about lying & body language would
benefit from micro expression research and theory.
What are Micro Expressions?

A micro expression is a momentary involuntary facial expression -- that people unconsciously

display when they are hiding an emotion. They are quick & intense expressions of concealed
emotion.
The main points to remember are that micro expressions are:
Brief - Micro-expressions can appear then disappear off the face in a fraction of a second. In
other words micro-expressions occur so quickly, that most people don't even notice them.

Involuntary - A micro-expression is caused by

involuntary movements in facial muscles. (See the fake-smile illustration ). Most people cannot
control these involuntary muscles which are affected by their emotions.
Micro Expressions are generally grouped into seven universal emotions: anger, disgust, fear,
sadness, happiness, surprise, and contempt.

A Brief History of Micro Expression Theory

According to Wikipedia - Micro Expressions were first discovered by Haggard and Isaacs in the
1960s. In 1966, Haggard and Isaacs outlined how they discovered these "micromomentary"
expressions published under the title: "Micromomentary facial expressions as indicators of ego
mechanisms in psychotherapy".

Although it is not included in most histories of micro expressions;

I would like to point out that Darwin's book "The Expression of the Emotions in Man and
Animals" published in 1872 deserves a mention. Darwin noted the universal nature of facial
expressions, the muscles used in facial expressions, etc. Check out more illustrations from
Darwin's book . Also worth noting is Guillaume Duchenne and the Duchenne Smile.
Most websites I can find next list William Condon as a pioneer who studied hours of tapes in the
1960s frame by frame to discover micro movements like micro expressions. I can find little info
on this research but there is some other interesting body language & verbal expression / NLP
research by a Dr. William S. Condon (I'm 99% sure it's the same dude - contact me if you have
any info on the 1960s micro expression research by Condon as cited on wikipedia). Others
mentioned as pioneering researchers in the field include John Gottman and Paul Eckman.
Dr. Paul Ekman's research (along with the work of Silvan Tomkins ) in the study of emotions
and their relation to facial expressions took Darwin's work to the next level proving that facial
expressions of emotion are not culturally determined, but biological in origin and universal
across human cultures. Eckman co-developed the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) with
Wallace V. Friesen in 1976. FACS is a system to taxonomize human facial expressions, and still
used today by psychologists, researchers and animators.
Dr. Ekman has published many books on emotions, facial expressions and lie detection including
Unmasking the Face: A Guide to Recognizing Emotions From Facial Expressions and Telling
Lies: Clues to Deceit in the Marketplace, Politics, and Marriage.

Micro-Expressions and Lying

Micro Expressions betray us when we lie. We can try to cover our feelings with fake smiles, but
involuntary face muscles reveal this hidden emotions. Seeing is easier, watch this short video:
(More Micro Expression Video Links Below)
Paul Ekman and his research is the inspiration for the TV series "Lie to Me"

Trained investigators, customs agents, etc. use micro expression recognition along with other
body language & speech cues (see distancing language for an example) to determine
truthfulness.
While most people can be trained to recognize micro expressions and other deceptive cues, some
folks are naturals. Ekman calls them "Truth Wizards" .

Latest Micro Expression Research & Training

Dr. Paul Ekman and Dr. David Matsumoto created METT, an online micro expression training
tool. METT and METT2 are being discontinued, but both Ekman and Matsumoto have
developed their own micro expression training software available on their respective sites. (listed
below).
Dr. Mark Frank, a former student of Ekman's, continues work on deception and micro facial
movement research. Frank identified specific and sometimes involuntary movements of the 44
human facial muscles linked to fear, distrust, stress and other emotions related to deception.
Frank's work is being tested for it's use in anti-terrorism investigations. (see press release )
My Opinion

Another important thing to remember about micro-expressions is that they only show what
someone is feeling...not whether they lying per-se, and not what they are thinking. The microexpression only tells you their knee-jerk emotional state. (in my opinion).
I believe (with no proof or scientific basis) that micro-expressions can also reveal emotions that
are unconscious or only partially related to whatever is being talk about.
In other words, just because someone says "that's awesome!" and flashes a brief microexpression of contempt ... doesn't necessarily mean they are lying about their feelings.... just that
there is something about the subject that "bugs" them (and they may not even know it bothers
them).

So, you show your friend Sarah a picture of your new dog. She looks at you and says "wow,
really cute", but you catch a micro-expression glimpse of "disgust". I believe it would be
presumptuous to take this as a sign that Sarah thinks your puppy is ugly. She may have been bit
by a dog in the past, and that emotion briefly flashed across her face when she looked at the pic
of your dog.
( I'm just cautioning readers who can see micro-expressions from simplifying and presuming too
much -- human thoughts and emotions are complicated! )
How to Detect Lies
Become a Human Lie Detector (Part 1)

Warning: sometimes ignorance is bliss. After gaining this knowledge, you may be hurt when it is
obvious that someone is lying to you. The following deception detection techniques are used by
police, forensic psychologists, security experts and other investigators.
Introduction to Detecting Lies:

This knowledge is also useful for managers, employers, and for anyone to use in everyday
situations where telling the truth from a lie can help prevent you from being a victim of
fraud/scams and other deceptions.
This is just a basic run down of physical (body language) gestures and verbal cues that may
indicate someone is being untruthful. Remember: these signs don't indicate someone is lying, just
that they are more likely to be lying.
If you got here from somewhere else, be sure to check out our Lie Detection index page for more
info including new research in the field of forensic psychology. Last update: April 10th, 2013.
Signs of Deception:
Body Language of Lies:

Physical expression will be limited and stiff, with few arm and hand movements. Hand, arm
and leg movement are toward their own body the liar takes up less space.
A person who is lying to you will avoid making eye contact.
Hands touching their face, throat & mouth. Touching or scratching the nose or behind their ear.
Not likely to touch his chest/heart with an open hand.
Emotional Gestures & Contradiction

 Timing and duration of emotional gestures and emotions are off a normal
pace. The display of emotion is delayed, stays longer it would naturally, then
stops suddenly.
Timing is off between emotions gestures/expressions and words. Example:
Someone says "I love it!" when receiving a gift, and then smile after making
that statement, rather then at the same time the statement is made.
Gestures/expressions dont match the verbal statement, such as frowning
when saying I love you.
Expressions are limited to mouth movements when someone is faking
emotions (like happy, surprised, sad, awe, )instead of the whole face. For
example; when someone smiles naturally their whole face is involved:
jaw/cheek movement, eyes and forehead push down, etc.
Also see our article on micro expressions & lying.

Interactions and Reactions

A guilty person gets defensive. An innocent person will often go on the

offensive.
A liar is uncomfortable facing his questioner/accuser and may turn his head or body away.
A liar might unconsciously place objects (book, coffee cup, etc.) between themselves and you.
Verbal Context and Content

A liar will use your words to make answer a question. When asked, Did you eat the last
cookie? The liar answers, No, I did not eat the last cookie.
A statement with a contraction is more likely to be truthful: I didn't do it instead of I did
not do it

Liars sometimes avoid "lying" by not making direct statements. They imply answers instead of
denying something directly.
The guilty person may speak more than natural, adding unnecessary details to convince you...
they are not comfortable with silence or pauses in the conversation.

 A liar may leave out pronouns and speak in a monotonous tone. When a truthful statement is
made the pronoun is emphasized as much or more than the rest of the words in a statement.
Words may be garbled and spoken softly, and syntax and grammar may be off. In other
words, his sentences will likely be muddled rather than emphasized.
The use of distancing language.
Also see our article on Statement Analysis for a more in-depth look at word analysis techniques
used by interrogators.
Other signs of a lie:

If you believe someone is lying, then change subject of a conversation quickly, a liar follows
along willingly and becomes more relaxed. The guilty wants the subject changed; an innocent
person may be confused by the sudden change in topics and will want to back to the previous
subject.
Using humor or sarcasm to avoid a subject.
Final Notes:

Obviously, just because someone exhibits one or more of these signs does not make them a liar.
The above behaviors should be compared to a persons base (normal) behavior whenever
possible.
Most lie detecting experts agree that a combination of body language and other cues must be
used to make an educated guess on whether someone is telling the truth or a lie.
Continue Reading Part 2 - Eye Direction & Lies
Interesting Info -> Lying Index -> Eye Direction & Visual Accessing Cues

Eye Direction and Lying

Eye Movement and Direction & How it Can Reveal Truth or Lies

This is a continuation of our previous article Detecting Lies. Many comments by our visitors
asked about how eye direction can indicate the presence of a lie.
Can the direction a person's eyes reveal whether or not they are making a truthful statement?
Short answer: sort of. But, it isn't as simple as some recent television shows or movies make it
seem.
In these shows a detective will deduce if a person is being untruthful simply because they looked
to the left or right while making a statement.
In reality, it would be foolish to make such a snap judgment without further investigation...
but the technique does have some merit.
So, here it is... read, ponder and test it on your friends and family to see how reliable it is for
yourself.
Visual Accessing Cues - "Lying Eyes"

The first time "Visual Accessing Cues" were discussed (at least to my knowledge), was by
Richard Bandler and John Grinder in their book "Frogs into Princes: Neuro Linguistic
Programming (NLP) " From their experiments this is what they found.

When asked a question a "normally organized" right-handed person looks (from your
viewpoint, looking at them):

Up and to the Left

Indicates: Visually Constructed Images (Vc)
If you asked someone to "Imagine a purple buffalo", this would be the
direction their eyes moved in while thinking about the question as they
"Visually Constructed" a purple buffalo in their mind.

Up and to the Right

Indicates: Visually Remembered Images (Vr)
If you asked someone to "What color was the first house you lived in?", this would be
the direction their eyes moved in while thinking about the question as they "Visually
Remembered" the color of their childhood home.

To the Left
Indicates: Auditory Constructed (Ac)
If you asked someone to "Try and create the highest the sound of the
pitch possible in your head", this would be the direction their eyes moved
in while thinking about the question as they "Auditorily Constructed" this
this sound that they have never heard of.

To the Right
Indicates: Auditory Remembered (Ar)
If you asked someone to "Remember what their mother's voice sounds like ", this would
be the direction their eyes moved in while thinking about the question as they
"Auditorily Remembered " this sound.

Down and to the Left

Indicates: Feeling / Kinesthetic (F)
If you asked someone to "Can you remember the smell of a campfire? ",
this would be the direction their eyes moved in while thinking about the
question as they used recalled a smell, feeling, or taste.

Down and To the Right

Indicates: Internal Dialog (Ai)
This is the direction of someone eyes as they "talk to themselves".

The Gist of it...

How this information is used to detect lies:

Example: Let's say your child asks you for a cookie, and you ask: "Well, what did your mother
say?" As they reply "Mom said... yes.", they look to the left. This would indicate a made up
answer as their eyes are showing a "constructed image or sound. Looking to the right would
indicated a "remembered" voice or image, and thus would be telling the truth.
Final Notes:

*** Looking straight ahead or with eyes that are defocused/unmoving is also considered a sign
of visual accessing.
*** A typical left-handed person would have the opposite meanings for their eye-directions.
*** As with other signs of lying, you should first establish and understand a persons basebehavior before concluding they are lying by the direction of their eyes.
*** Many critics believe the above is a bunch of bull***t. In my own experiments I have found
these techniques to be more true than not. But, why not find out for yourself? Make up a list of
questions that like the sample ones, and give them to your friends/family anyone who would be
your guinea pig, observe their eye movements and record the results.
*** This guide is hardly in-depth, I recommend getting the book "Frogs into Princes: Neuro
Linguistic Programming" by Richard Bandler and John Grinder for a more thorough explanation
if the subject interests you.
You should start with a lie, quickly dissect the lie, then talk to why there are significant ethical and moral
circumstances in this world that cause people to lie.
I would explain why honesty is always the best policy. I would also touch on why some people's choice of
career places them in positions where they MUST lie to succeed. It's the chicken or the egg here, was the
person a liar before excepting a job in such a field? Or was the person made a liar by the job? We ALL lie,
however, there is a pathology to lying and this is where it gets interesting.
The reality is, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) literally conducts its business using denial,
deception, and illusion. Disinformation, misdirection, and outright lying are all elements of the
clandestine service that keeps our nation safe.

Hopefully some food for thought.

Regards.

How to Detect Lies

Become a Human Lie Detector (Part 1)
Warning: sometimes ignorance is bliss. After gaining this knowledge, you may be hurt when it is
obvious that someone is lying to you. The following deception detection techniques are used by
police, forensic psychologists, security experts and other investigators.

Introduction to Detecting Lies:

This knowledge is also useful for managers, employers, and for anyone to use in everyday
situations where telling the truth from a lie can help prevent you from being a victim of
fraud/scams and other deceptions.
This is just a basic run down of physical (body language) gestures and verbal cues that may
indicate someone is being untruthful. Remember: these signs don't indicate someone is lying, just
that they are more likely to be lying.
If you got here from somewhere else, be sure to check out our Lie Detection index page for more
info including new research in the field of forensic psychology. Last update: April 10th, 2013.

Signs of Deception:
Body Language of Lies:
Physical expression will be limited and stiff, with few arm and hand movements. Hand, arm
and leg movement are toward their own body the liar takes up less space.
A person who is lying to you will avoid making eye contact.
Hands touching their face, throat & mouth. Touching or scratching the nose or behind their ear.
Not likely to touch his chest/heart with an open hand.

Emotional Gestures & Contradiction

 Timing and duration of emotional gestures and emotions are off a normal
pace. The display of emotion is delayed, stays longer it would naturally, then
stops suddenly.
Timing is off between emotions gestures/expressions and words. Example:
Someone says "I love it!" when receiving a gift, and then smile after making
that statement, rather then at the same time the statement is made.
Gestures/expressions dont match the verbal statement, such as frowning
when saying I love you.
Expressions are limited to mouth movements when someone is faking
emotions (like happy, surprised, sad, awe, )instead of the whole face. For
example; when someone smiles naturally their whole face is involved:
jaw/cheek movement, eyes and forehead push down, etc.
Also see our article on micro expressions & lying.

Interactions and Reactions

A guilty person gets defensive. An innocent person will often go on the
offensive.
A liar is uncomfortable facing his questioner/accuser and may turn his head or body away.
A liar might unconsciously place objects (book, coffee cup, etc.) between themselves and you.

Verbal Context and Content

A liar will use your words to make answer a question. When asked, Did you eat the last
cookie? The liar answers, No, I did not eat the last cookie.
A statement with a contraction is more likely to be truthful: I didn't do it instead of I did
not do it

Liars sometimes avoid "lying" by not making direct statements. They imply answers instead of
denying something directly.
The guilty person may speak more than natural, adding unnecessary details to convince you...
they are not comfortable with silence or pauses in the conversation.

 A liar may leave out pronouns and speak in a monotonous tone. When a truthful statement is
made the pronoun is emphasized as much or more than the rest of the words in a statement.
Words may be garbled and spoken softly, and syntax and grammar may be off. In other
words, his sentences will likely be muddled rather than emphasized.
The use of distancing language.
Also see our article on Statement Analysis for a more in-depth look at word analysis techniques
used by interrogators.

Other signs of a lie:

If you believe someone is lying, then change subject of a conversation quickly, a liar follows
along willingly and becomes more relaxed. The guilty wants the subject changed; an innocent
person may be confused by the sudden change in topics and will want to back to the previous
subject.
Using humor or sarcasm to avoid a subject.

Final Notes:
Obviously, just because someone exhibits one or more of these signs does not make them a liar.
The above behaviors should be compared to a persons base (normal) behavior whenever
possible.
Most lie detecting experts agree that a combination of body language and other cues must be
used to make an educated guess on whether someone is telling the truth or a lie.

LYING
Think about a time when you told a lie.
Why did you do it? How did you feel? What happened?
Whether we want to admit it or not, lying is a part of life. Each of us has told a lie or two,
whether it was to:

get out of trouble (I didnt do it.)

avoid hurting someones feelings (You look great!)

get something we want (I finished my homework, so Im going to the movie.)

Unfortunately, some people do it more than others. And they dont just lie about little things, but
about big things as well.
In the following sections, you will learn all about lyingwhat it is, why you do it, and how you
can tell when someone is lying to you.
What is a lie?
1. A false statement deliberately presented as being true. (My room is clean.)
2. Something meant to deceive or give a wrong impression. (Im so sorry you didnt make
the team.)
Why do we lie?
Lying is considered by many experts to be a natural human tendency. In the same way that
children learn to walk, talk, and cry, we also learn to lie at a very early age.
The primary reasons people of all ages lie is to avoid punishment or get something they want.
Fortunately, as we grow older, we become aware that lying can have many painful consequences.
Over time, we learn that we can get away with some lies while we cant get away with others.
EmpathyThe Key to Lying
Lying is done through communication. As humans, we communicate in many different ways,
both verbally (talking, sounds) and non-verbally (facial and body gestures).
Another important component of communication is the ability to empathize, or understand what
another person might be thinking or feeling. Having empathy is necessary to lie, because you
have to understand another persons thoughts and feelings to be able to make them believe your
lie.
For example, a friend asks you for help with her homework, but you know shell just end up
talking about her problems. Because you understand that she values your friendship and dont
want to hurt her feelings, you might tell a lie like, Id really like to help you out, but I have
chores to do at home.
Animals, Plants, & Lying
Can animals lie? How about plants? Well, yes and no.

Like humans, animals are able to communicate both verbally and non-verbally. But scientists
have found that only higher primates (gorillas and chimps) have the ability to empathize.
Because their ability to communicate verbally is limited, gorillas and chimps dont lie verbally.
And since plants do not communicate, they cannot actually tell lies. Both animals and plants
do engage in a form of lying called deception, however. In order to survive in the wild, many
animals and plants rely on camouflage or altering their appearances in order to deceive predators
or attract prey.
Scientists have determined that most animals and plants are not aware that they are being
deceptive.
Signs of conscious deception, however, have been found among primates. Studies have shown
that chimpanzees both hide food from each other and also seek out food that has been hidden.
This proves that the deception is consciousthat each chimp has the empathic ability to sense
what the other might be thinking and doing.
Talking
Our ability to speak has increased our capacity for communication and, therefore, for lying as
well.
Lying can make people distrust each other and can threaten the cooperation needed to maintain a
healthy society.
Luckily, the painful consequences of being caught in a liehaving to face anger, rejection,
humiliation, or shame from othershelp keep lying to a minimum.
Whos Lying?
When a person lies, his or her body may undergo physical changes such as:
increased heartbeat

stuttering

increased breathing

sweating

higher vocal pitch

irregular face/body movements

Other indicators that could indicate that someone is lying include:

avoiding eye contact

fidgeting arms, hands, and fingers

reduced blinking

mouth/face touching

head scratching

Although many of these general indicators have been associated with lying, not all people who
are lying exhibit them. Even more importantly, not all people who exhibit them are telling lies.
Its Hard to Tell
Three decades of scientific studies support the conclusion that people have a difficult time telling
whether or not someone is lying. It has been found that people can tell the difference between
truths and lies only 55 percent of the timejust a little better than making random guesses.
Why is detecting liars so hard?
One view is that our tendency to believe others is stronger than our inclination to distrust them.
We may be more likely to see the truth because having that tendency makes personal interactions
more successful and contributes to social progress.
Interestingly, studies have shown that some people can tell the difference 70 percent of the time.
Usually these are police officers and Secret Service agents who have to distinguish truth from
falsehood on a daily basis. A few special people who can tell the difference 80 percent of the
time have learned to pay close attention to nonverbal cues and changes in word usage.
To Catch a Liar
With the difficulty in determining who is lying and who is not, police and other law enforcement
organizations have tried to find reliable scientific methods to detect liars. Here are some
examples:
The Polygraph Test
This machine was first developed by the police in the 1930s to try to detect if suspected
criminals were lying. The process involved attaching tubes, cuffs, and metal plates to the
persons body to measure changes in respiration and blood pressure. And though some experts
have suggested that polygraphs today have an accuracy of at least 96 percent, others suggest that
the nervousness and fear that a person experiences when hooked up to the machine produce
symptoms similar to those of lying. Those people consider the results of the polygraph test to be
unreliable.
Thermal Imaging
Thermal imaging technology is based on the concept that, when a person is lying, blood flow
increases around the eyes. First developed to identify terrorists at airports, the accuracy of the
machine has been brought into question, since flying can make many people nervous and
produce physical symptoms similar to those of lying.
Brain Fingerprinting

Another recent lie-detecting technology, brain fingerprinting, involves putting a helmet with
various electrodes on a persons head to measure certain brain waves that show whether an
alleged criminal is familiar with certain objects, like a gun used in a robbery. This technology,
however, cannot distinguish between the criminal and someone who just observed the crime
taking place.
Detecting LiesKeep it Simple!
Even though people and machines are not very well-equipped to detect whether someone is
lying, scientific experts suggest that focusing on three areas can help you improve your odds of
detecting a lie:
Speech patterns
If you are wondering if someone is lying, look for verbal changes like:

more pauses

slower speech

stuttering

elevated pitch

Also pay attention to what the person is saying, since people who are lying tend to give:

fewer facts and details

less information about times and places

Lies also are often told differently from normal speech:

in a more structured way

from beginning to end, chronologically

Facial expressions
Watching a persons face when he or she is talking can tell you a lot about whether the person is
lying, since it is difficult to control facial expressions and the emotions behind them.
A few facial signs to watch for that may suggest that someone is lying:

expressions that dont match the words that are being said (saying I love you with an
angry scowl)

expressions that dont match the timing of the words (saying Wonderful! and not
smiling until a few seconds later)

Here are some other facial signs that a person might be lying:

hiding emotions (showing no emotion)

masking real emotions with false ones

showing emotion when none is felt

Experts also recommend focusing on the eyes and forehead, which are harder areas of the face to
control than the mouth and cheeks. Its in these areas where honest emotion can be more easily
detected.
Body movements
When a person attempts to lie, he or she often feels stress about what to say and how to say it.
The person also typically tries to hide his/her emotions on his/her face. As a result, the person
does not have much awareness or control of the messages his or her body is sending.
This stress a person feels when having to lie can be seen through:

nervous movements

foot tapping

deep breathing

strong eye contact

overly controlled movements

Remember that verbal, facial, and body signs are only suggestions that a person might be lying.
Your intuition and ability to empathize are the best tools you have to use.
True Lies
A final point to consider when thinking about lying: What is the truth? Is there such a thing as
absolute truth?
One expert suggests that some people who lie a lot can actually come to believe that their lies are
true (true lies). So a statement can be true for the person making it and false for other people
and in reality.

How confusing is that?

As a result, it is often as hard to determine what is true and what is not. All we can do is be aware
and keep trying to tell the difference.