So you want to catch a liar in the act. What is the first thing you should look for? The answer are what researchers call “hot spots”. Hot spots are inconsistencies between what people say and what their nonverbal behavior is saying.

For example, if you ask a person how they like your dress and they say “I love it!” but they flash a sign of disgust, this would be a hot spot. What they said and what their body said are inconsistent with each other.

It’s important to understand that hot spots always a sign that someone is lying, but often times are situations where there is an underlying or hidden message.

NOTE: If you see a hot spot and you feel the situation is necessary, you should ask more questions, or find out why that individual has hidden feelings about that topic. Don’t jump to the conclusion that they are automatically lying.

Put Yourself To The Test!

Put yourself to the test with the fun videos below.

This episode of National Geographic’s Brain Games tested actor Ted Danson’s ability to read microexpressions.

They brought in 4 poker players who are known to control their expressions in high stakes situations. Each poker player had two shot glasses in front of them- one containing apple juice and the other containing apple cider vinegar.

Their instructions were to drink the liquid (not knowing if they were drinking the juice or vinegar) and to say “this tastes good” all while keeping a poker face.

Who is Lying?

Let’s look at each individual one by one to see what their faces revealed.

Person #1

Person #2

Person #3

Person #4

Who do you think is lying and what did you see?

Weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section and we’ll reveal the answer in our next blog!

The post Reading Microexpressions: Put Yourself to the Test first appeared on Humintell.