Emotions are a very interesting world. They attract so much attention that they have been studied from different angles, with psychology perhaps one of the most important. In this context, one of the topics studied was how to detect deception.
Here’s what we mean when we talk about deception and how to spot it according to psychologist Paul Ekman. As a starting point, let’s look at the biography of this singular psychologist.
- Paul Ekman is one of the most important psychologists today.
- The American Psychological Association recognized him for the relevance and depth of his contributions.
- Among which those related to emotions and facial micro-expressions stand out.
In addition, he has received several awards for his scientific research, such as Eureka, which focuses on scientific communication, and William James. Ekman also appeared in a documentary with the BBC and was inspiration for series such as “Trump Me If I Can?”(? Lie to me, original title).
Born on February 15, 1934, he was a professor of psychology at the University of California and an advisor to the U. S. Department of Defense and the FBI. .
He has written books of scientific dissemination, such as The Nature of Emotion. In addition, in his outreach work he has written several articles for newspapers and magazines. Currently, his research continues to be ongoing, highlighting the study. of lying.
The mistake, according to the dictionary, is “to give the lie a real appearance, or to make someone consider what is wrong, using apparent or supposed words or works. “
However, to know what it is, it must be understood that, according to Ekman, there are six basic emotions: happiness, fear, disgust, anger, surprise and sadness.
Each emotion is associated with nonverbal language, communication that has a particular reflection in our facial mimicry, it turns out that, although people express themselves more verbally, they also exhibit nonverbal language associated with what they feel. and the deceived are no exception; we can express these actions on both levels.
For Paul Ekman, we are not very good at inhibiting facial expressions when we are emotional, and our facial gestures are particularly revealing.
Therefore, the detection of deception would be possible by identifying and interpreting facial expressions. We also communicate through other parts of the body, but the most revealing thing, according to this author, is the face.
Let’s look at some facial signs of deception
It is also possible to use other phenomena as a reference to detect deception: false smiles, synchronization, pupil dilation, activation of reliable facial muscles and redness.
However, through words, voice, and body it is also possible to detect deception, people who miser tend to pay more attention to the words they use, invest more resources in this mission, and neglect other aspects, such as mimicry.
Tone of voice, pauses, and verbal errors help us know if we are deceived, in these respects elements may appear that do not support the message conveyed by words.
We all felt that something didn’t fit the story we were hearing, something that alerted us, although we didn’t know what, because much of the analysis of nonverbal behavior is done unconsciously.
On the other hand, we have seen that deception is linked to lying, to define it, in the book How to Detect Lies, a guide to use at work, in politics and as a family (How to detect lies. at work, in politics and as a family), Ekman argues that it is necessary to consider both the liar and the recipient.
There is a lie when the recipient has not asked to be deceived and the speaker has not previously warned that his intention is to lie.
Another bug detector is the polygraph, also known as a lie hunter, a technology that records a person’s bodily answers when asked, however, although it is a resource used in court proceedings by some countries, we do not currently have a reliable line of study that supports or supports the association that uses this technology to decide whether someone is lying or telling the truth.
In short, emotions are a valuable source for analyzing behavior, emotions that we manifest or conceal in many ways, including nonverbal language, an area in which Paul Ekman’s contributions stand out, is particularly important. Legacy.