INTRODUCTION TO SCIENCE OF LIE DETECTION

The search for truth

For as long as there are liars and deceitful persons, there are people who
persist to find out the truth and detect those who are lying.

Various methods have been developed using science and technology to establish
if a person is telling the truth. Such methods applied knowledge in various sciences
such as psychology, psychiatry, physiology, and pharmacology. The application of
modern technology such as electronics and computer science is gaining its popularity
in the field of lie and crime detection.

Although lie detection methods are scientifically base, these are not fully
recognized by the courts as a means of producing evidence to establish the truth. In
fact, most information developed using scientific lie detection methods are not
admissible as direct or primary court evidence despite their expediency in crime
detection and investigation, this is something that is ironic in the philippine setting.

Why Do We Seek The Truth?

In decision-making success primarily depends on true information (simply known

as the truth). decision-makers must possess the ability to evaluate the veracity of
information that they use in their decisions. The knowledge of truth is the
fundamental requirement in administering justice.

In crime detection, the desk of determining the truth initially lies on the hands of
the field investigators.

Sometime in 1983, HANS GROSS, an Australian magistrate (judge) regarded as

the earliest advocate of criminal investigation as Science, published his CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATION. In this book, gross define search for truth as the basis and goal of
any form of investigation. (Weston & Wells, 1990).

In his earlier book System der Kriminalistiks. Gross emphasized that most part of
the investigators work involves battle against lies. The investigator has to discover the
truth and must fight the opposite, as “lies and deceits”. he encounters the opposite
every step of investigation. (Trovillo.) 1939

Today, lying became a lucrative business and more and more people are lured
into it. As a future law enforcers and criminal investigators, you have to learn more
than what ordinary people know about detecting lie and discovering the truth. By
force of necessity due to nature of your profession, you have to be knowlegeable
about lies, truth and deception.

B. DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS (LIE, TRUTH, & DECEPTION)

LIE DETECTION, is sometimes referred to as DECEPTION DETECTION, this

is simply the system or practice of determining whether or not somebody is telling the
truth during the questioning. By the nature of this definition, some author prefer to use
(scientific) Truth Verification instead of lie detection.

Most of your probably think that the field of lie detection is geared towards the
discovery of lies and deceits. However, it would be better to say first because once the
truth is known, lie will be revealed eventually.

WHAT IS TRUTH?

Microsoft Encarta Reference Library (2004) provided the following meanings of

truth;

 True quality of something

 Something factual or something that correspond to factor reality
 True statements that corresponds to fact or reality
 Obvious fact or something that is clearly true to it hardly needs to be stated.
 Something generally believed to be true.

Truth can have variety of meanings, from the state of being the case, being in
accord with particular fact or reality, being accord with the body of the real things,
events actuality, or fidelity to an original or to a standard. In archaic usage it could be
fidelity, constancy or sincerity in action, character. And utterance.

 Deception is a major relational transgression that often leads to feelings of

betrayal and distrust between relational partners. Deception violates relational
rules and is considered to be a negative violation of expectations. Most people
expect friends, relational partners, and even strangers to be truthful most of the
time. If people expected most conversations to be untruthful, talking and
communicating with others would simply be unproductive and too difficult. On a
given day, it is likely that most human beings well either deceive or be deceived
by another person. A significant amount of deception occurs between romantic
and rational partners.

WHAT ARE LIES, DECEITS AND FRAUD?

LIE is a falsehood or false statement made deliberately. It is a false impression made

deliberately.

This refers to anything that deceives or create a false impression. It could be

something that gives a false or misleading impression with intent to deceive. In other
words, is an untruth of falsehood.

Lie (also called prevarication falsehood) is a type of deception in the form of an

untruthful statement, especially with the intention to deceive others, often with the
further intention to maintain a secret or reputation, protect someones feelings or to
avoid a punishment or repercussion for ones actions. To lie is to state something that
one knows to be false or that one does not honestly belive to be truth with the
intention that person will take it for the truth. A liar is a person who is lying, who has
previously lied, or who tends by nature to lie repeatedly- even when not necessary.
 Lying is typically used to refer deceptions in oral or written communication.
Other forms of deception, such as disguises or forgeries, are generally not considered
lies, though the underlying intent may be the same. However, even a true statement
can be used to deceive. In this situation, it is the intent of being overall untruthful
rather than the truthfulness of any individual statement that is considered the lie.

DECEIT is a dishonest practice. An act or practice of deceiving or misleading

somebody. It is something that is done to trick or mislead somebody.

In the broadest scene, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain
or to damage another individual. The specific legal definition varies by legal
jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and is also a civil law violation. Many hoaxes are
fraudalent, although those not made for personal gain are technically not frauds.
Defrauding people of money is presumably the most common type of fraud, but there
have also been many fraudalent “discoveries” in art, archaeology, and science.

According to Aldert Vrij (2004). A LIE can be made consciously or

unconsciously. On the other hand, deceit is an intentional act, which is intended to
foster in another person as false, thus, an error of not telling the truth is not a lie.

Lie and deceit is therefore, synonymous and can be used interchangeably. Based
on their definition, these are means of committing deception.

METHODS OF DETECTING KDECEPTION

There are various methods of detecting lies and deceit. Lie detection methods
available today maybe grouped in four ways.

1. Cross-checking information with testimonies. Physical evidence, or other existing

information.
2. Psychological method (evaluation of the emotional, behavioral and cognitive
reaction of a person).
3. Interrogation (testing the credibility of the suspect statements).
4. Using “lie detection” instruments.

Dr. Pedro Solis, in his book legal medicine, provided a more elaborate classification
of lie detection methods availabke today.

1. Methods involving the use of scientific device that record psycho, psychological
responses, these methods includes:
a. WAT (word association test) by galton
b. PSE (PSYCHOLOGICAL tress evaluation)
c. Polygraph Method (polygraphy)

2. Methods involving the use of substances that “inhibit the inhibitor”

a. Administration of “truth serum”
b. Narcoanalysis/Narcosynthesis
c. Intoxication with alcohol
However, there are new sophisticated techniques of detecting deception not
mentioned by solis. These include;

a. Computerized voice stress analysis

b. Brain scanning
c. Iris analysis
d. Functional magnetic resonance imaging

Lie detection is also called deception and scientific truth verification. As scientific lie
detection is now included as one area of forensic science. Forensic lie detection is
better known in the academy as forensic psychophysiology. The most popular field of
forensic psychophysiology is the polygraph method. According to Dr. William J.
Yankee of the department of Defense Polygraph Institute (DoDPI). polygraph
examination is one of the most complex psycho physiological examinations ever
developed.

In advance counties, the following are preferred descriptions of lie detection through
polygraph examination.

1. PVE (psycho physiological Veracity examination)

2. PDD (psycho physiology detection of deception)
3. PCA (psycho physiological Credibility Assesment)

Lie detection and Psychophysiology

Lie detection test customarily involves the process of recording the

psychophysiological reactions of a person while being questioned and scientific
interpretation of the persons reactions by trained experts.

Scientific lie detection methods primarily and extensively utilized the combined
kniwledge of psychology and physiology. This led the term psychophysiology.

The field PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY is focused on studying the functions of the

human nervous system and the bodily reactions of a persons influenced by his mental
responses to specific stimulus. In simpler wors, it is the field of science dealing with
the relationship between psychology and physiology.

WHY IS PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH LIE

DETECTON?

Oftentimes, nervousness is the psychological reaction used as symptom of

deception. However, nervousness per se cannot be measured. What we can actually
measure are bodily reactions such as sudden change in heartbeat and breathing
pattern.

We may say that a person is deceptive if we detected that his pulse and
respiration suddenly increased but such conclusion is disputable unless we trace the
cause of significant changes in physiological;reactions. Our deduction is positive if
we identified that the cause is anxiety or similar stress reaction that are psychological
in nature. Hence, there is direct relationship between human physiology and
psychology that is functional in explaining the theory of lie detection.

Emotions are an indispensable part of the body’s adjustive machinery. Strong

emotions, especially fear, usually hamper sound thinking in at least three ways.

1. Whenever we interpret a situation as critical, we become a concerned with the

threat that we unable to concentrate on the problem.

2. The redistribution of the blood supply occurring with strong fear tends to decrease
the supply to the higher brain centers and to leave them undernourished so that they
cease to function effectively.
3. Emotions tend to reduce the control of behavior, by thought.
-under strong emotional tension we have an urge to do something immediately
even if it is wrong rather, than wait until we can consider the situation in the light of
accumulated experience.

The system that prepares the body’s defenses to meet, these emergencies is none
other than the sympathetic subdivision of the automatic nervous system.
In polygraph situation, it is fear, fear of detection, fear of consequences if the
individual is detected, that causes the sympathetic system to activate in order to
prepare the body to meet the emergency. Therefore, a sense of guilt is not an essential
element to activate the sympathetic system.

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF HUMAN NERVOUS SYTEM

The nervous system (cornista & lupato 2000)

Is a complex combination of cells whose primarily function is to allow an

organism to gain information about what is going on inside and outside the body and
to respond appropriately.

Three basic functions of the nervous system

1. Receiving information, or input. (a small object)

2. Integrating or processing that information. (is it a candy)
3. Guiding actions, or output .(wave it away with a smile)

The human nervous is composed of the central nervous system and peripheral
nervous system. The central nervous system (CNS) consists of the brain and spinal
chord.

1. The CNS processes and coordinates all incoming sensory information and outgoing
motor commands.
2. CNS is the seat of complex brain functions such as memory intelligence, learning
and emotion.

The peripheral nervous systen (PNS), includes all neural tissue outside the central
nervous system. It is responsible for providing sensory (afferent) information to the
CNS and carrying motor (effernt) commands out to the body tissue.
The PNS has two sub-division; the somatic nervous system and the automatic nervous
system. Their respective functions are the following;

1. Somatic Nervous System- control voluntary motor commands such as moving

muscles to walk or talk.
2. Automatic Nervous System- controls involuntary motor commands such as
digestion and heartbeat.

The autonomic nervous system which acts as a self regulating (autonomic) response
of the body is further divided into two branches;

a. Sympathetic Nervous System-also called the fight or the flight mechanism,

increases alertness, stimulates tissue, and prepares the body for quick responses to
unusual situations.
b. Parasympathetic Nervous System- also called the rest and repose system, conserves
energy and controls sedentary activities, such as digestion.

Autonomic Nervous System

The autonomic system directs all activities of the body that occur without a persons
conscious control, such as breathing and food digestion. It has two parts; the
sympathetic division, which is most active in times of stress, and the parasympathetic
division, which controls maintenance activities and helps conserve the bodys energy.

The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system acts opposite with each other.
When the person is under the influence of physical stimulus (exertion) or emotional
provocation, the sympathetic branch dominates and over-rides thebparasympathetic
component. In effect there will be changes in the;

1. Pulse (heart beat)

2. Blood pressure
3. Breathing
4. Response-time
5. Voice, and
6. Other physiological reaction

When the conditions of stress are no longer present, the parasympathetic branch
works to restore things normal. Thus, the parasympathetic branch is dominant when
things are normal and the person is calm.contented and relaxed.

Nerve cell
-nerve cells transmit information from one part of the body to another. Each nerve cell
has branching dendrites to connect to other dendrites, and a long axon to transmit or
collect impulse.

Neurons
The basic unit of the nervous system. The nervous system made up of billions of
structural units called NEURONS. Neurons are cells especially adopted to transmit
messages from one part of the body to another in the form of electrochemical
impulses. This has three distinct parts which include;
a. Cell Body- the central part of the neuron which contains the nucleus. The nucleus is
a dense area within the cell body which contains structures necessary to the life and
development of the neuron .
b. Dendrites- these are small extensions on the cell body that receive messages from
other neurons and carry towards the cell body.
c. Axons- are relatively elongated part of a neuron that carry messages away from the
cell body.

Many neurons are covered or insulated by a fatty, whitish substance called myelyn
sheath. The tiny gaps or space between the axon terminal of the one neuron are called
the synapses. They are so small that it cannot be seen without an electron microscope.
 THE PHENOMENON OF LYING

“If someone tells you he always tells the truth, you know you have a liar on your
hand”.

“the sin of lying is one of the most damnable and common sins of human race.”

Warfire is the way of deception. Thus, although you are capable, display incapability
to them. When committed to employing your forces, feign inactivity. When your
objective is nearby, make it appear as if distant ; when far away, create the illusion of
being nearby.

Anyone can tell a lie. However, making someone believe your lie is difficult to
do. To convince someone that your story is true, you must be able to adequately and
effectively communicate with him. To do this, you must have a reason or motive.

WHY DO WE LIE?
Most of us avoid the truth because we anticipate pleasure or we want to avoid
pain. When it comes to lying, of pleasure usually involves a selfish agenda. Most of
us lie on purposes of self interest and self promotion, such as when we lie on a job
resume. Some of us lie because we felt that if we tell the truth, we wont get what we
want. The avoidance of pain or discomfort often causes us to lie. We often lie because
we fear punishment. If we frequently fear punishment, lying may become a habit,
which is lying by reflex. Most of us lie to avoid awkward situations or interpersonal
conflicts. We sometimes lie to ensure privacy such as when a salesman calls to sell
something.

Benedict Carey of Los Angeles Time March 8, 2003. He identified atleast four
honest reasons why we lie:
 Avoid hurting other peoples feelings
 Cover our own embarrassment
 Reassure the needlessly anxious.
 Spare unnecessary headaches

We can tell a lie if we have motive or purpose. Most of us (if not all) with this
statement of Dr. David Liebernman, an american psychologist. We lie because it is
compatible with reason and necessity in our daily interaction with others especially
when we mean no harm to them. In Latin, this is called “dannum absque injuria”

However, lying becomes less appropriate when used in all purposed coping
strategy. People lie includes the following;

 To gain profit and advantage, especially over matters like money, property,
wealthy, power or influence.
 To evade punishment, avoid pain, injury embarrassment or failure.
 To improve or enhance one’s image, qualification or credibility.
 To gain or maintain patronage, respect, trust and confidence to others
 To protect others.
Mike hardcasts to 10 fact sheet on “lies and lying”

1. Lying is the number one reason why people lose trust.

2. The most common reason why people lie is to avoid confrontation. Getting into
trouble is never fun but lying to avoid it is always a “band-aid” solution.
3. Another common reason why people lie is to make them seem “better” or more
interesting.
4. One lie can knock out whole relationships, destroy your life or even limit your
future.in unforeseeable ways.
5. Lying is a gamble. Every time you lie, you gamble with being caught.
6. Lie have a way of getting out and coming back to haunt you.
7. The worst lies are that ones you tell yourself. When you lie to others you are also
lying to yourself.
8. Chronic lying can be a signal of psychiatric or social disorder.
9. Lies can damage your self-image and cause inner conflicts that drastically change
the view, and act upon, the world and other people.
10. Little white lies are lies that are told about superficial things that are told the truth
would only serve to hurt another person. Like telling another friend that the haircut
looks good when you don’t really like it.

AUGUSTINE TAXONOMY OF LIES

Augustin of hippo wrote two books about lying: on lying (de mendacio) and against
lying (contra mendacio). he described each book in his later work, Retraction. Based
on the location of De Mendacio in retractions, it appears to have been written about
A.D 395. The first work, on lying, begins. “ Magna quaesto est de Mendacio”. From
his text, it can be derived that St. Augustine divided lies into eight categories, listed in
order or descending severity;
 Lies that harm others and help no one.
 Lies that harm others and help someone.
 Lies told for the pleasure of lying.
 Lies told to “please others in smooth discourse”
 Lies that harm no one and that help someone.
 Lies that harm no one and that save someone’s life.
 Lies that harm no one and that save someone’s purity.

Augustine believed that “jocose lies” are not in fact, lies.

PSYCHOLOGY OF LYING

The capacity to lie is noted early and nearly universally in human development.
Social psychology and development psychology are concerned with the theory of
mind, which people employ to stimulate anther's reaction to their story and determine
if a lie will be believable. The most commonly cited milestone, what is known as
“Machiavellian intelligence”, is at the age of about four and a half years,”when
children begin to be able to lie convincingly. Before this they seem simply unable to
comprehend why others don’t see the same view of events that they do and seem to
assume that there is only one point of view, which is their own.
 Young children learn from experience that stating an untruth can avoid
punishment for misdeeds, before they develop the theory of mind necessary to
understand why it works. In this stage of development, children will sometimes tell
outrageous and unbelievable lies,because they lack the conceptual framework to judge
whether a statement is believable, or even to understand the concept of believability.