As a parent, could you tell when your young children were lying to you? Most of you will say of course I could! How? Was it their words they said or how they acted when they were lying to you? Most of you will say, by the way they acted. We call that body language. Remember, words lie but the body always tells the truth…… without saying a word. At what age does a child learn to lie? When they are about six months old. We teach them, and we are really good at it! (We’ll talk about it.) As a rule, when an individual tells a lie, they know it’s wrong and as result it causes stress. That stress manifests itself in many ways. The individual that is lying wants to get rid of the stress by saying or doing certain things. We call these stress indicators, and they can be verbal or nonverbal. It’s particularly important to observe what the subject is talking about when the stress indicator appears. If an interviewer is aware of the verbal and nonverbal stress indicators, they can read a person like a book. Remember, words lie but the body always tells the truth. In this session, we will discuss the types of individuals that lie, why they lie, and both the verbal and nonverbal indicators of stress. In addition, we will discuss how to get them to tell the truth and make them feel good about it.
Learning Objectives
Explain why individuals lie and describe common motivations behind deceptive behavior. Identify verbal indicators of stress that may occur when a person is being deceptive. Recognize nonverbal stress indicators and body language cues associated with potential dishonesty. Differentiate between normal behavior and stress-related behavioral changes during questioning or conversation. Analyze the context in which stress indicators appear to better interpret potential deception. Apply practical communication techniques to encourage individuals to share truthful information.
Major Topics
Types of Stress Indicators Verbal Cues Nonverbal Communication Behavioral Context Truth-Elicitation Techniques
