Deciphering Truth: The Human Inability to Detect Lies

Lying is a common part of human interaction. Whether it is to give a white lie to get out of something or telling a big lie that could get you in a lot of trouble later on. It is something everyone has done. Studies have shown that people lie constantly, and with one of the studies showing people tell two or three lies every ten minutes (Boser, 2009). But can everyone tell when someone is lying? No. Humans have a very poor accuracy rate of finding the difference between a lie and the truth. According to a research study by Maureen O’Sullivan at University of San Francisco,46 out of 15,000 people could accurately detect lies without having to guess (“Truth About Deception”, 2016). There are many ways to tell when a person is lying through their

It measures blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity. Today they mostly use computerized recording systems (“The Truth About Lie Detectors”, 2004). A typical test is a pretest, where the technique is exlained and the questions are reviewed, then it goes on to questioning the subject where there are different techniques. One technique is the control question test (CQT). This technique is designed to compare responses to relevant questions to control questions. Another technique is the guilty knowledge test (GKT). The GKT that has multiple choice questions with concerns only a guilty person would know. The only way this technique can work is if the investigators have information that only the criminal knows. This test has been seen used in court cases, investigations and on the tv screen. It is widely thought to be a machine that accurately tells when a person is being deceitful. The polygraph test is highly inaccurate. The only way the polygraph test works is if the suspect believes the test works and confesses or becomes extremely anxious. The accuracy of the test is questioned because the evidence for large scale research on polygraph testing compared to individual testing does not match up. The CQT has significant error rates, failing to detect criminals and to misreading innocent suspects. The polygraph is also wrong in that it does not take account for education, intelligence and level of autonomic arousal (“The Truth About Lie Detectors, 2004). There are also ways criminals have learned to “cheat” the polygraph test. Many psychologist believe that there is little basis for using the polygraph in investigations though it is still used in non-judicial