Academics Say ‘No Truth’ to Lying Eyes Theory

Academics say 'no truth' to lying eyes theoryResearch by academics at two universities have concluded that the common belief of lying eyes is a myth.




The claimed link between eye movements and truth telling is a key element of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), a method of enhancing people’s lives using psychological techniques.


According to the theory, when right-handed people look up to their right they are likely to be visualising a “constructed” or imagined event.

In contrast when they look to their left they are likely to be visualising a “remembered” memory.




Co-author Dr Caroline Watt, from Edinburgh University, said: “A large percentage of the public believes that certain eye movements are a sign of lying, and this idea is even taught in organisational training courses.


Psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman, from Hertfordshire University, said: “The results of the first study revealed no relationship between lying and eye movements, and the second showed that telling people about the claims made by NLP practitioners did not improve their lie detection skills.”




Five Ways to Detect a Liar

Prof Richard Wiseman outlined other ways to spot a liar:

  1. Me, myself I: Liars make up stories that never actually happened, and so tend to reduce the number of times they refer to themselves. Look out for any sudden drop in words like me, mine and I
  2. Shifty: Lying is difficult and people tend not to move around when they are concentrating on something. Be wary if a person suddenly becomes very still
  3. Umm … err: Liars are far more hesitant than truth tellers and tend to stumble over their words. Listen out for tell-tale umms and errs.
  4. Timing: Liars often have to think about what they are going to say before they speak. Be suspicious if someone suddenly pauses before starting to answer a question.
  5. Token gesture: Liars tend to move their hands around more than truth tellers. Be wary if someone suddenly starts covering up their mouth or touching their hair as they chat.