Distinguishing fact from fiction is one of the great tests of human communication. Little wonder that some people agonise over their capacity to sniff out a fishy story. “My friends say I’m a real mug,” one reader tells me. “What can I do to be less gullible?”
I can’t help but wonder if our reader’s friends are being a little too harsh. Countless studies have shown that most of us are pretty abysmal at lie detection. When asked to discern whether people are telling truths or falsehoods, the
In face-to-face conversations, we may rely too heavily on – none of which are reliable indicators of deception. This leads us to overestimate how good we are at judging others’ dishonesty.
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In general, we would do far better to , which can betray the effort that is required to concoct their cock-and-bull story. at the University of Portsmouth, UK, has shown that than people recounting real events. They’ll mention fewer complications or nuances, and offer fewer verifiable sources that could back up their account.
Even if the person has carefully rehearsed their story, cracks will soon appear under some subtle questioning that gently increases their cognitive load. can expose inconsistencies, for instance.
We mustn’t allow a fixation with the truth to morph into a deep-set cynicism, however. This may be a particular problem for people who act dishonestly themselves. According to recent research by Sarah Ying Zheng at University College London and her colleagues, – and this “self-projection” means they are less adept at assessing others’ motives and behaviour.
Paradoxically, it seems that the most trustful and trustworthy people are also the least gullible. In 2010, researchers at the University of Toronto measured participants’ assumptions about human nature, asking them to rate statements such as “most people are basically good-natured and kind” on a scale of 1 (completely disagree) to 5 (completely agree). The volunteers then had to judge a series of video clips of people telling facts or fibs about themselves. The ; their general misanthropy tended to make them worse judges of character across the board.
No one likes being taken for a fool – and a healthy scepticism is essential for navigating the complexities of our social world. In many cases, however, it is perfectly rational to give people the benefit of the doubt.
David Robson is an award-winning science writer and author of The Laws of Connection: 13 social strategies that will transform your life
Further resources
Aldert Vrij explains his results in this fascinating (if a little academic) talk:
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