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Synergology's "False No" response theory: Testing and implications of a pseudo-scientific belief about deception

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Delmas, H., Elissalde, B., Denault, V., Rochat, N., Demarchi, S., Tijus, C., & Urdapilleta, I. (2016, June). Synergology's "False No" response theory: Testing and implications of a pseudo-scientific belief about deception. Presentation at the 9th Annual Conference of the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group, London, United Kingdom. Abstract : Synergology is defined as a method to decipher body language. Eventhough it's considered a pseudo­science, police officers and lawyers received training in synergology. According to synergology proponents, the veracity of a negation can be assessed through head movements. If someone says " no " with the head turning to the right first, it's a " false NO " (say " no " but think " yes "). Conversely, the head turning to the left first is a " true NO " (say " no " and think " no "). This lie cue's accuracy was empirically tested. Forty participants were instructed to watch a video of a robbery as if they were the robber. To better involve participants, experimenters handed them a bag of money to hide in their pocket. Then, a police investigator interviewed the participants and asked them all the same 13 questions. Three questions invited them to lie by answering " no ". This experimental material was previously used in Delmas et al. (2014). Interviews were recorded and head movements were coded. Results showed that head movements associated with a " no " were at random for the three false responses. Consequently, the " false NO " doesn't assess the veracity of a negation. Implications of this belief on professional training and investigative interviewing will be discussed.
Synergology's“FalseNO”responsetheory:TestingandImplicationsofa
PseudoScientificBeliefAboutDeception
HuguesDelmas
1,2,3
,BenjaminElissalde
4
,VincentDenault
5,6
,
NicolasRochat
2,3
,SamuelDemarchi
2
,CharlesTijus
3
,IsabelUrdapilleta
2

1
ADNResearch
2
LAPPS(LaboratoireParisiendePsychologieSociale,UniversitéParis8)
3
CHArt(LaboratoiredeCognitionsHumaineetArtificielle,UniversitéParis8)
4
DCPJ(DirectionCentraledelaPoliceJudiciaire)
5
DepartementofCommunicationoftheUniversityofMontréal
6
CESCNOV(Centred'étudesensciencesdelacommunicationnonverbale)
Synergology is defined as a method to decipher body language. Eventhough it’s considered a
pseudoscience, police officers and lawyers received training in synergology. According to
synergology proponents, the veracity of a negation can be assessed through head movements. If
someone says “no” with the head turning to the right first, it’s a “false NO” (say “no” but think
“yes”). Conversely, the head turning to the left first is a “true NO” (say “no” and think “no”). This lie
cue’saccuracywasempiricallytested.
Forty participants were instructed to watch a video of a robbery as if they were the robber. To better
involve participants, experimenters handed them a bag of money to hide in their pocket. Then, a
police investigator interviewed the participants and asked them all the same 13 questions. Three
questions invited them to lie by answering “no”. This experimental material was previously used in
Delmasetal.(2014).Interviewswererecordedandheadmovementswerecoded.
Results showed that head movements associated with a “no” were at random for the three false
responses. Consequently, the “false NO” doesn’t assess the veracity of a negation. Implications of this
beliefonprofessionaltrainingandinvestigativeinterviewingwillbediscussed.
... (Gagnon, 2015a) In order to associate significance to 'items', proponents of synergology claim to have accumulated and compared thousands of television clips where people perform similar gestures in order to identify links between them (Boyer, 2013b; Betti-Cusso, AN EVALUATION OF A PSEUDOSCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS 5 2010; Jarry, 2016). However, the methodology to such accumulation and comparison is unknown because, apart from one publication where the founder of synergology analyzed seven online videos of two Canadian politicians (Turchet, 2013), meanings or interpretations associated with 'items', as well as other concepts specific to synergology, have never been peer reviewed (Denault, 2015;Denault, Larivée, Plouffe & Plusquellec, 2015) or no effect was found when assumptions promoted by proponents of synergology were experimentally tested (Delmas et al. 2016). Rather than submit their findings to the scrutiny of academic journal reviewers, 'synergologists', proponents of synergology with a training of approximately 200 hours in synergology (Lagacé, 2015a), conduct analysis within general public books, blog posts and media appearances accessible to anyone interested in synergology: ...
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Denault, V., & Jupe, L. (2017). Justice at risk! An evaluation of a pseudoscientific analysis of a witness’ nonverbal behavior in the courtroom. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 29(2), 221-242. doi: 10.1080/14789949.2017.1358758
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Throughout history, different methods and instrumental designs have been used to identify and obtain the truth. Some of the methods described in this work are based on myths that have remained over time, but due to this legacy are unlikely to be applied, such as the Osiris judgment. In this study, we analyzed the characteristics of these methods, such as the period in which they were used, their scientific validation, and their passive or active approach according to the literature. Some approaches have established the theoretical foundations for the development of more precise technologies that are currently used, such as the Bisha Bedouin Court System (ordeal by fire), which is based on arousal theory (response). This work also includes innovative applications such as the use of interview techniques to detect deception, which stands out for their wide spectrum of use in different contexts. Finally, we mention elements of investigative interview models and highlight the benefits of using verbal approaches to detect deception.
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