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The Truth Lies in Our Eyes ?

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A new device is being held to detect deception by accurately reading eye behavior.  Broadway World.com comments on this non-invasive lie detection method called EyeDetect.

Scientists at Utah based company Conversus, which invented the EyeDetect and the computerized polygraph, claim that their device can detect whether a person is being honest or is lying through subtle changes in the behavior of the human eye due to increased cognitive load.

Will this device replace the current polygraph or surpass it and be admitted into courts of law ?

Probably not anytime soon.  EyeDetect monitors the eye behavior of individuals using a high-speed eye tracker to measure subtle changes and then combines the measures in a mathematically optimal manner to detect deception.  The polygraph measures a person’s emotional response when lying, whereas EyeDetect evaluates changes in cognitive load associated with deception.

The scientists purport that the two technologies provide partially independent sources of diagnostic information about deception and may be used in combination to great advantage in some applications. However, there is no additional research to support that veracity can be determined solely from a person’s eyes.  In the company’s validation trial this “ocular motor deception test” had an 85% accuracy rate.

If this device can be proven, with further research, to be effective and accurate then perhaps the EyeDetect can be put into the category of a deception detection tool.  However, as of now, it seems to be more of a screening device than a bonafide  lie detector.  As with any tool or technique for evaluating truthfulness (i.e. the polygraph, or reading nonverbal tells) there is no one real sign that someone is being dishonest.  These are screening techniques/devices that have the potential to analyze individuals such as employees for hot spots that might lead to unveiling dishonesty such as previous issues with theft or fraud.

effectively screen potential employees for previous issues with theft or fraud is long overdue.”
Read more at http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwgeeks/article/Converus-Releases-First-Lie-Detection-Technology-That-Accurately-and-Efficiently-Reads-Eye-Behavior-20140408#OT3FFfOxbiJ8pRGv.99
effectively screen potential employees for previous issues with theft or fraud is long overdue.”
Read more at http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwgeeks/article/Converus-Releases-First-Lie-Detection-Technology-That-Accurately-and-Efficiently-Reads-Eye-Behavior-20140408#OT3FFfOxbiJ8pRGv.99

“We deal with a lot of sensitive information where the potential for risk is very high,“ said Vilash Poovala, co-founder and CTO of PayClip. developer of Clip a card reader that enables users in Mexico to accept credit and debit card payments through their smartphones and tablets. “We need to make sure the people we hire can be trusted. Technology like EyeDetect that can effectively screen potential employees for previous issues with theft or fraud is long overdue.“

Converus is focusing its initial efforts in demonstrating EyeDetect’s technological ability  as a pre-employment and periodic screening tool to help effectively manage risk and ensure workplace integrity.

Do You Think The Key to Unlocking The Truth Lies in our Eyes?

Emotional Intelligence

Are You Emotionally Intelligent ?

Click here to view the embedded video.

After watching the video are you ready to test your skills ? 
If you want to take an Emotional Intelligence quiz from Greater Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life click here.

Frozen Emotions

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A new study, commented on by The New York Times, lends even more evidence to the theory that regular botox injections can help treat depression.

Last year, we blogged about a study by Dr. Eric Finzi that suggested that onabotulinumtoxinA (commonly referred to as “Botox”) injected into the corrugator and procerus muscles (the frown muscles between the eyebrows) could alleviate symptoms of depression by inhibiting the face’s ability to display negative emotion such as a frown.

In his previous study, Dr. Finzi cited the “facial feedback hypothesis” first proposed by Charles Darwin and William James, which states that facial expressions of emotion can have a distinct influence on mood. Dr. Finzi took this idea one step further, and proposed a new model of “emotional proprioception”, wherein “the brain continuously monitors the relative valence of facial expressions and that mood responds accordingly.” If true, this could mean that unconscious facial expressions greatly affect how someone feels; by changing someone’s at-rest expression, mood can be drastically affected.

Dr Finzi first started researching the effects of botox on mood in 2006. His original report, published by  The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, was anecdotal and lacked sufficient sample size or control methods. Other researchers followed up on his research in 2011 with a study that confirmed his original findings.

Dr. Finzi’s most recent study, completed with the help of psychiatrist Dr. Normal Rosenthal, is the most comprehensive conducted on the subject, taking place over the course of 6 weeks and involving 69 participants.  You might think that patients would easily be able to tell whether they got the placebo or Botox.  However, it wasn’t so obvious; only 50% of the subjects getting Botox guessed correctly.  More important, knowing which treatment was received had no significant effect on treatment response.)

Interestingly, the study was solely funded by the Chevy Chase Cosmetic Center, a dermatology center specializing in cosmetic treatments, which Dr. Finzi owns. While Dr. Finzi’s results are fascinating, more confirmation by unbiased sources will likely be necessary before such treatments will be approved by the FDA.

Could this new study lead to an increase of the popularity of botox?
Let us know what you think in the comments.