Vanessa Van Edwards

So we do a lot of lie detection at Science of People because I'm fascinated by what are the cues that humans do when they're not telling the truth. And all of the lie detection cues are when there's incongruence. It means someone is saying something, but they're not showing it. So nodding is a good example of this.

So we do a lot of lie detection at Science of People because I'm fascinated by what are the cues that humans do when they're not telling the truth. And all of the lie detection cues are when there's incongruence. It means someone is saying something, but they're not showing it. So nodding is a good example of this.

So we've found we have a little game we play with people in our lab where we ask them two truths and a lie. Share two truths about yourself and one lie. Sometimes people will say yes, but shake their head no, or say no, but shake their head yes. That's an incongruence. And liars will often do this. So you'll ask, you know, so what do you think of the new girl? You know, she's great, right?

So we've found we have a little game we play with people in our lab where we ask them two truths and a lie. Share two truths about yourself and one lie. Sometimes people will say yes, but shake their head no, or say no, but shake their head yes. That's an incongruence. And liars will often do this. So you'll ask, you know, so what do you think of the new girl? You know, she's great, right?

And they're shaking their head no, but they're saying yes. There's a hesitation there, but we don't even notice it. But once you start to look out for it, you'll start to see these incongruences a lot.

And they're shaking their head no, but they're saying yes. There's a hesitation there, but we don't even notice it. But once you start to look out for it, you'll start to see these incongruences a lot.

And also could be doubt, right? Like someone could not know if they like the girl or not. So they're kind of, yeah, kind of, sort of, right? By the way, India, Bulgaria, and Pakistan, nodding is a little bit different. Oh, yeah. Very different. I know India for sure. Right. So I just like to make that note. So looking for incongruence. They're saying I'm happy, but they're not showing happy.

And also could be doubt, right? Like someone could not know if they like the girl or not. So they're kind of, yeah, kind of, sort of, right? By the way, India, Bulgaria, and Pakistan, nodding is a little bit different. Oh, yeah. Very different. I know India for sure. Right. So I just like to make that note. So looking for incongruence. They're saying I'm happy, but they're not showing happy.

Like a fake smile, for example, is a real smile is when we reach all the way up into these upper cheek muscles. So when I'm smiling all the way, I get these crow's feet, right? If someone says to you, oh, I'm so happy for you. Their face is just dead on top, right? Or too much Botox, either one. That's getting harder. It's making my job harder. It's making my job harder.

Like a fake smile, for example, is a real smile is when we reach all the way up into these upper cheek muscles. So when I'm smiling all the way, I get these crow's feet, right? If someone says to you, oh, I'm so happy for you. Their face is just dead on top, right? Or too much Botox, either one. That's getting harder. It's making my job harder. It's making my job harder.

That you know, uh-oh, there's not real happiness here. And this happens a lot in dating when you'll say your truth. You'll say your passion or your value or your love and they'll go, oh, that's nice. And they're giving you a fake smile. They're saying that's verbally okay. And your brain goes, uh-uh.

That you know, uh-oh, there's not real happiness here. And this happens a lot in dating when you'll say your truth. You'll say your passion or your value or your love and they'll go, oh, that's nice. And they're giving you a fake smile. They're saying that's verbally okay. And your brain goes, uh-uh.

That's oftentimes your body has picked up on, ooh, they said it was good, but I didn't feel it was good. So you're looking for incongruent cues or clues that someone is not stating what they actually feel. And when you're off script, you see way more of them.

That's oftentimes your body has picked up on, ooh, they said it was good, but I didn't feel it was good. So you're looking for incongruent cues or clues that someone is not stating what they actually feel. And when you're off script, you see way more of them.

You see way, way more of them. I also think there's some cues that we can't read. For example, we catch fear through smell. So I mentioned smell before. This is a study that completely blew my mind. They brought people into their lab. They sold them off into two different groups. They had them wear sweat suits, like suits that caught their sweat. The first group had to run on the treadmill.

You see way, way more of them. I also think there's some cues that we can't read. For example, we catch fear through smell. So I mentioned smell before. This is a study that completely blew my mind. They brought people into their lab. They sold them off into two different groups. They had them wear sweat suits, like suits that caught their sweat. The first group had to run on the treadmill.

The second group skydived for the first time. They had two collections of sweat, right? They had treadmill sweat and fear sweat. Then they had unsuspecting participants in an fMRI machine smell These two sweat samples. I had no idea what they were smelling. Gross, right? I hope they paid them well. So gross. People who smelled the fear sweat caught the fear.

The second group skydived for the first time. They had two collections of sweat, right? They had treadmill sweat and fear sweat. Then they had unsuspecting participants in an fMRI machine smell These two sweat samples. I had no idea what they were smelling. Gross, right? I hope they paid them well. So gross. People who smelled the fear sweat caught the fear.

They smelled this random thing and their own amygdala began to light up. They began to feel afraid. So sometimes when you're with someone and you're like, I just feel so uneasy, there's also this unreadable aspect, but I want you to listen to it because our brains are so smart. They are working to protect us. And so if you're like, I feel off, that's your alarm bells.

They smelled this random thing and their own amygdala began to light up. They began to feel afraid. So sometimes when you're with someone and you're like, I just feel so uneasy, there's also this unreadable aspect, but I want you to listen to it because our brains are so smart. They are working to protect us. And so if you're like, I feel off, that's your alarm bells.