Watch the Eyes
By Andrew Impey
Eye movement is one of the four major non-verbal cues typically associated with lying (along with nose and mouth movement and hand gestures). It is therefore relatively easy for someone who is trained in analysing facial cues to use probing questions to extract the truth.Police forces and customs officials all around the world routinely monitor eye movement during interviews to get to the hard facts. Someone’s eyes will generally follow a predictable pattern as they scan their brain for information. By looking straight at someone, you can draw a rough picture of what is going on in their head:
Up right – assessing visual memory such as objects, colours, movements
Middle right – accessing the auditory part of their memory e.g. remembering a songDown right – someone talking to themselves or thinking about what they are going to say next
Up left – accessing the visual part of their imagination, constructing a picture
Middle left – imagining and constructing sounds
Down left – thinking about feelings
So generally looking to the left indicates a made up answer as the eyes are showing a constructed image or sound, whereas looking to the right indicates a remembered voice or image and therefore the truth.
Effectiveness
This isn’t foolproof so it’s probably best to back up your hunch with a second test. Some people, for example many professional poker players, train themselves not to move their eyes in the stereotypical way. So don’t go jumping to any conclusions and doing something rash. 2/5
Ethics
Entirely ethical – all you’re doing is asking a few questions. It’s their fault if they can’t stop their eyeballs from rolling round their sockets. 5/5
How to get out of it
Shutting your eyes is the obvious answer, but if you want to be a little more cunning, why not chop a few onions - think of it as a smoke screen.
Back to Top Ten Ways to Get the Truth
More articles from the Null:
- Bizarre - Teenager steals €40,000 worth of virtual furniture
- Well I never - Appendixes aren't useless after all
- Bless my soul - Scientists invent Artificial Stupidity
- Weird world - How it works: Bubble power
Hub Image: Sophie
Share this
