Social Engineering Blogs

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“Truth Serum” in a Court of Law ?

Image courtesy of Reuters

Many of us remember the tragedy that took place last July in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. NewScientist has some interesting turn of events in the Dark Knight Rises shooter case .

James Holmes has plead not-guilty by reason of insanity, and the judge presiding over the case has ruled that “medically appropriate” drugs could be used in Holmes case.  To be found insane, Holmes’ attorneys must prove that he did not know right from wrong at the time of the shooting,which killed 12 people and injured 58.

When one says “truth serum” it is not clear what drug that is, but New Scientist reports that it could be sodium pentothal, which in some US states is given as part of the lethal injection in the death penalty.  However, many scientists and psychologists think that it is very doubtful that this medical drug will be helpful in coercing Holmes into “telling the truth”.

“Under barbiturates, people often engage in fantasy and have delusions. This is similar to someone who is drunk. How much do you trust the story the drunk in the pub tells you?” said Paul Zak from Claremont Graduate University in California.

  Aldert Vrij a lie detection researcher, says that the judge’s ruling is unusual.

“I am not aware of any scientific support for truth serums.  Neither am I aware that it has value on determining whether someone is legally insane.”

However, the value of using such drugs in a court of law to elicit “truth” statements is very unclear at this point. “Regardless of their effectiveness, administering truth serums arguably violates an individual’s rights under the US constitution.  However, the constitutional implications of using a truth serum to test an insanity plea are less clear,” purports Jason Odeshoo at law firm Jenner & Block in Chicago, Illinois.

What do you think about this admission in court? Is it a violation of human rights?  OR
Is is no holds bar when one tries to plead insanity for the killing of 12 people, many in the prime of their life?

 

 

Body Language: Pride & Shame

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Forbes reports on nonverbal universal reactions of pride and shame that are controlled by the limbic brain. The article was written by Dr. Carol Kinsey Goman, author of The Silent Language of Leaders and president of Kinsey Consulting Services

Scientists Dr. Jessica Tracy and Humintell Director Dr. David Matsumoto studied the behaviors of judo matches at the 2004 Olympic and Paralympic Games.  30 countries, including Algeria, Taiwan, Ukraine and the United States competed in those games.

The research report stated that body language of blind and sighted athletes showed the same patterns.  The conclusion is that congenitally blind individuals could not have learned the nonverbal aspects of pride and shame from watching others, these displays of victory or defeat are likely to be innate biological responses that have evolved over time.

The limbic brain is most responsible for value judgments and plays a key role in all nonverbal communication.   Emotions are the key forces behind decision-making. Forbes points out that our logical processes are often only rational justifications for emotional decisions.

A few examples of the limbic brain in action:  An employee spots a friend and immediately her eyebrows raise and her eyes widen in recognition, a team-member reacts to distressful news by caving in his upper body and lowering his head.  All of these nonverbal responses can be seen whether you are in Sao Paulo, Singapore or San Francisco.

 What are your comments on the immediate reaction of sighted and blind athletes?