Detect Lying Using Novel Distraction Techniques

New method has evolved through experiments to be able to detect lie tellers using distraction techniques designed by Prof. Aldert Vrij, from the University of Portsmouth, published in the International Journal of Psychology and Behaviour Analysis. Several studies have documented that there is increased consumption of cognitive energy evidenced by extra brain power required to concentrate) when lying during interviews, as compared to telling the truth.

"The pattern of results suggests that the introduction of secondary tasks in an interview could facilitate lie detection but such tasks need to be introduced carefully. It seems that a secondary task will only be effective if lie tellers do not neglect it. This can be achieved by either telling interviewees that the secondary task is important, as demonstrated in this experiment, or by introducing a secondary task that cannot be neglected (such as gripping an object, holding an object into the air, or driving a car simulator). Secondary tasks that do not fulfil these criteria are unlikely to facilitate lie detection," Prof. Aldert Vrij.

Secondary Tasks to Detect Lies

The new study states that spotting a lie teller is much easier when they are made to multi-task while being interviewed. The study team utilized a secondary task (as a means of multi-tasking) of recalling a seven-digit car registration number in their experiment with 164 participants.

"In the last 15 years we have shown that lies can be detected by outsmarting lie tellers. We demonstrated that this can be done by forcing lie tellers to divide their attention between formulating a statement and a secondary task. Our research has shown that truths and lies can sound equally plausible as long as lie tellers are given a good opportunity to think what to say. When the opportunity to think becomes less, truths often sound more plausible than lies. Lies sounded less plausible than truths in our experiment, particularly when the interviewees also had to carry out a secondary task and were told that this task was important," says Prof. Aldert Vrij.

Source-Medindia