How to detect lies

Imagine the scene. You're face-to-face with the boss. He's explaining that he appreciates the work you've been doing, but the company just can't afford to give you a pay rise.

The whole industry is suffering, he claims. No company in the sector is increasing salaries.

And now imagine that, while he's speaking, he's giving away signs that he isn't being straight with you. Maybe the company can afford to give you more money, they just don't want to. Maybe other companies in the sector would offer you a better salary, but obviously he doesn't want you to know that.

In other words, imagine if you could tell you were being lied to. Would that give you an advantage? Would it make a decision to stick or twist with your career easier to make?

Then imagine if you could tell if your date was lying, or your partner, or the guy who reckons you need a new radiator even though you only took the car in for a couple of tyres.

The ability to detect lies can turn circumstances in your favour, and you don't need to be a mind reader to do it. Here's some expert tips on how to spot a liar.

Be realistic
Here are a few statistics (that we're not lying about). More than 80% of women admit to telling what they call 'harmless half truths'. Sixty per cent of people will lie at least once during a 10-minute phone conversation. On average, men tell six lies to work colleagues every day.

In other words, humans are born liars. Lying greases the wheels of social interaction and professional life. And if you can tell you're being lied to, you have an advantage that few can match.

Learn to observe
As in all areas of life, practice is important. When you're chatting with your mates, girlfriend or mum, learn to take in not just what they're saying, but the way they're saying it. Think about their stance, the way their eyes flick about, and any hand or arm movements.

'Suppress your own emotions and thoughts, just observe and listen,' says Peter Spalton, aka The Dating Doctor, an expert in human interaction and non-verbal communication. The more you take on board, the easier it will be to spot a lie.

Verbal clues
Spotting lies isn't just about identifying body language clues though. Liars will often speak in a way that - to the keen observer - will come across as a little bit strange.

For example, liars often repeat back the words you use when you ask them something ('Does the radiator really need replacing?' 'Yes, the radiator really needs replacing').

Most noticeably, they'll often talk more than is necessary, peppering their conversation with superfluous details, to try and sound more convincing.

If they're not seasoned liars, they might also garble sentence structure and appear to muddle through their explanation.

'Think about what they're saying,' says Spalton. 'Does it sound too good to be true? Is there too much detail and long lists of facts? Is it long-winded and peppered with disclaimers (like 'let me assure you')? They could all be signs of a possible lie.'

Tone of voice
Their tone may also give them away. Does their voice quiver, or is it flat and monotone? Normal speech is animated and interesting.

If they have rehearsed the lie, it can make the story sound stilted as they recite it parrot fashion from memory, and they'll often avoid contractions. So instead of saying they 'don't know what's going on,' they'll say they 'do not know what is going on,' reckons Spalton.

Appearance
Of course, a well-prepared liar might not exhibit all, or many, of these verbal cues. But even good liars find it hard to disguise subtle changes in their body language.

Somebody telling a lie will often have quite a stiff appearance, and use very few of the animated arm or hand movements that characterise free-flowing speech.

And the one fact everybody knows is often true. Liars avoid eye contact. Or if they make an effort to deliberately catch your gaze, it becomes a rather steely and unnatural stare.

'Observe their hands and eyes in particular,' says Spalton. 'Touching their own face can be a sign of lying, as can shifty eye movements, particularly ones that range upwards and towards their writing hand.'

-->

Emotion
Liars tend to get emotion wrong. They'll be emotional about something, and then abruptly stop. They'll show too much emotion, or show the wrong emotion for the sentiment they're expressing. They'll remain straight-faced when you express something to them, then show emotion a few seconds after you've finished talking.

It all points to an unnaturally analytical attitude. The liar is having to work hard to make sure they don't give away the lie, and by doing so is, well, giving away the lie.

If you challenge them, a liar may be defensive, while someone telling the truth is more likely to go on the offensive. They may also be uncomfortable if you start questioning them, and turn their head or body (or both) away.

The change
If you think you might be being led down the garden path, look out for these verbal and non-verbal clues. Even if you don't catch every one, you might be left with an impression that someone has been unusually stiff, evasive or stilted.

You can confirm your impression as the conversation changes. Peter Spalton suggests you 'pause and watch for the tension release.'

When a liar finishes their deceit and moves on to other topics, you might notice that their manner becomes relaxed again, they start making eye contact and their use of hand gestures becomes more pronounced.

If that's the case, you really may have caught someone in the act of telling you a lie. What you do with that information is up to you, but it's better to be in the know than in the dark.