Study questions reliability of body language for lie detection in courts
8 reported
A commentary by a University College London lecturer argues that using body language and demeanour to detect deception is unreliable, citing examples from the UK judicial system. The author, Kirsty King, notes that judicial directions in Scotland advise jurors to consider witnesses’ body language, while in England and Wales jurors are told not to take so many notes that they cannot observe witnesses’ manner. King states that research shows common body-language cues, such as avoiding eye contact or eye direction, lack scientific basis. She argues that lying is primarily a linguistic act and that language reveals deception through word choice, grammar, and sentence structure. The article references a 1994 English jury that consulted a Ouija board during a murder trial, which King compares to relying on body language assessments. King concludes that if courts continue to encourage judgments based on body language rather than speech content, they may as well allow supernatural consultations.
What’s reported
Judicial directions in Scotland advise jurors to consider witnesses’ body language.
In England and Wales, jurors are instructed not to take so many notes that they cannot observe witnesses’ manner or demeanour.
The author states that looking at body language or demeanour to determine honesty is not trustworthy.
The most untrustworthy body-language cue is the belief that liars will not look you in the eye; liars often maintain eye contact to gather feedback.
Eye direction as a lie-detection cue also lacks scientific basis, according to the article.
Research indicates that lying is cognitively challenging, leading to linguistic cues such as self-correction from “I” to “we.”
Liars fabricating an experience often lack sensory-perceptual details and instead refer to internal thought processes.
In 1994, an English jury consulted a Ouija board during a murder trial; a retrial was ordered, and the defendant was found guilty again.
Key figures
Kirsty King, lecturer in communication at UCL and author of The Language of Lies
Sources: The Guardian
