230 W H A T EVERY BODY IS SAYING
When we are confident about what we believe or what we are saying,
we tend to sit up, with shoulders and back wide, exhibiting an erect pos-
ture indicative of security. When people are being deceitful or are out-
right lying, they subconsciously tend to stoop or sink into the furniture as
if they are attempting to escape what is being said—even if they, them-
selves, are saying it. Those who are insecure, or are unsure of themselves,
their thoughts, or their beliefs, are likely to reflect this in their posture—
usually by stooping slightly, but sometimes dramatically by lowering
their heads and drawing the shoulders up to the ears. Look for this
“turtle effect” whenever people are uncomfortable and are trying to hide
in the open. It is definitely a display of insecurity and discomfort.
Shoulder ShrugsAlthough we all shrug at one time or another when we are not sure of
something, liars will give a modified shrug when they are unsure of
themselves. The liar’s shrug is abnormal in that it is abridged and cus-
tomized because the person manifesting it is not fully committed to
what is being expressed. If only one shoulder comes up, or if the shoul-
ders rise nearly to the ears and the person’s head seems to disappear, it is
a sign of high discomfort and sometimes seen in an individual preparing
to answer a question deceptively.
CONCLUDING REMARKSAs I stated at the beginning of the chapter, the research over the last
twenty years is unequivocal. There are no nonverbal behaviors that, in
and of themselves, are clearly indicative of deception (Ekman, 1991, 98;
Ford, 1996, 217). As my friend and researcher Dr. Mark G. Frank re-
peatedly has told me, “Joe, unfortunately, there is no ‘Pinocchio effect,’
when it comes to deception” (Frank, 2006). With that I must humbly
concur. Therefore, in order to sort fact from fiction, our only realistic
recourse is to rely on those behaviors indicative of comfort/discomfort,