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Suspects, Lies, and Videotape: An Analysis of Authentic High-Stake Liars

Authors:
Samantha Mann at University of Portsmouth
Samantha Mann
Aldert Vrij at University of Portsmouth
Aldert Vrij
Ray Bull at University of Derby
Ray Bull
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Abstract

This study is one of the very few, and the most extensive to date, which has examined deceptive behavior in a real-life, high-stakes setting. The behavior of 16 suspects in their police interviews has been analyzed. Clips of video footage have been selected where other sources (reliable witness statements and forensic evidence) provide evidence that the suspect lied or told the truth. Truthful and deceptive behaviors were compared. The suspects blinked less frequently and made longer pauses during deceptive clips than during truthful clips. Eye contact was maintained equally for deceptive and truthful clips. These findings negate the popular belief amongst both laypersons and professional lie detectors (such as the police) that liars behave nervously by fidgeting and avoiding eye contact. However, large individual differences were present.
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Suspects, Lies, and Videotape: An Analysis of Authentic High-Stake Liars
Samantha Mann; Aldert Vrij; Ray Bull
Law and Human Behavior; Jun 2002; 26, 3; ABI/INFORM Global
pg. 365
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
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Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
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... Therefore, this study, resulting from a collaboration between researchers in linguistics and criminology, aims to examine how suspects use language to conceal the truth during investigative interviews. The work falls within the long tradition of studies on lying but deviates from it in its approach: while most studies on the subject have been conducted in the field of psychology (DePaulo et al., 2003;Hartwig et al., 2011;Mann et al., 2002;Vrij et al., 2014), this study is based on forensic linguistics (Coulthard et al., 2020;Gibbons, 2003;Shuy, 1993). The field of forensic linguistics involves the application of linguistic knowledge and theory, in the present case discourse analysis, to forensic, legal, or criminal contexts (Coulthard, 2010;Lagorgette, 2010). ...
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