Nonverbal communication and deception

Nonverbal communication and deception Are there behavioral differences between liars and truth tellers? Most people think there are. Can we spot whether people are lying by looking at their behavior? Many police officers (and parents) think they can (Boon & McLeod, 2001; Elaad, 2003). These beliefs reflect the assumption that communicative behavior, particularly nonverbal cues, function as signals of deception or truth telling. Despite our assumptions about our abilities, however, most people are poor at detecting deception (Bond & DePaulo, 2005; Vrij, 2000a; see also Riggio, this volume). This inability may be due to the expectations that people have about what cues reveal deception. Unlike the clarity of Pinocchio's growing nose, however, researchers have found no single cue that is related to deception uniquely and reliably; and deception theories, such as those included in this chapter, do not predict that such cues exist.