AN ANALYSIS OF TACTICS IMPLEMENTED WHILE LYING

Abstract

While lying and other strategic forms of deception are commonplace in social interactions, dishonesty is difficult to detect. Researchers have attempted to increase deception detection accuracy by exploring how behavior changes when people lie. This body of research has revealed few consistent behavioral changes that occur when people lie. Several studies have also examined people's beliefs about deceptive behavior, with much of that research showing that people hold many incorrect beliefs about how liars behave. Thus, the known behavioral cues of lying are limited, and most people hold false beliefs about valid indicators of lying. This study aimed to add clarity by asking liars themselves to report the behavioral tactics and techniques they use when lying. In an exploratory descriptive analysis, 228 participants described the verbal and non-verbal behavioral tactics they use to tell convincing lies. Their responses were categorized by independent raters who found that most reported strategies fell into a small number of categories. A second group of 198 participants then reported the frequency with which they used each of those tactics. The results provide insights into the self-reported tactics people use to tell lies.