DETECTING DECEPTION 217Take note of the head movements of those with whom you are
speaking. If a person’s head begins to shake either in the affirmative or
in the negative as he is speaking, and the movement occurs simultane-
ously with what he is saying, then the statement can typically be relied
upon as being truthful. If, however, the head shake or head movement is
delayed or occurs after the speech, then most likely the statement is con-
trived and not truthful. Although it may be very subtle, the delayed
movement of the head is an attempt to further validate what has been
stated and is not part of the natural flow of communication. In addi-
tion, honest head movements should be consistent with verbal denials or
affirmations. If a head movement is inconsistent with or contrary to a
person’s statement, it may indicate deception. While typically involving
more subtle than exaggerated head movements, this incongruity of ver-
bal and nonverbal signals happens more often than we think. For ex-
ample, someone may say, “I didn’t do it,” while his head is slightly
nodding in the affirmative.
During discomfort, the limbic brain takes over, and a person’s face
can conversely either flush or lighten in color. During difficult conversa-
tions, you may also see increased perspiration or breathing; note whether
the person is noticeably wiping off sweat or trying to control his or her
breathing in an effort to remain calm. Any trembling of the body,
whether of the hands, fingers, or lips, or any attempt to hide or restrain
the hands or lips (through disappearing or compressed lips), may be in-
dicative of discomfort and/or deception, especially if it occurs after nor-
mal nervousness should have worn off.
A person’s voice may crack or may seem inconsistent during deceptive
speech; swallowing becomes difficult as the throat becomes dry from
stress, so look for hard swallows. These can be evidenced by a sudden
bob or jump of the Adam’s apple and may be accompanied by the clear-
ing or repeated clearings of the throat—all indicative of discomfort.
Keep in mind that these behaviors are indicators of distress, not guaran-
tees of deception. I have seen very honest people testify in court display-
ing all these behaviors simply because they were nervous, not because
they were lying. Even after years of testifying in federal and state courts,