Vanessza Baranyai PSYC3660: Psychology and Law Assignment #3 Part 1: Microexpressions Microexpressions are brief, involuntary facial expressions that reflect a person’s feelings. In the TV show “Lie to Me,” Cal Lightman often used these non-verbal deception cues to make judgments about whether the person was lying (Baum et al., 2009). For example, he stated that if a person was surprised for more than one second, they were faking it. Furthermore, reactions such as a momentary movement of the lips that lasted less than half a second showed feelings of happiness (Baum et al ., 2009). Cal focused on concealed scorn, stating that when this was present, a person was 100% lying (Baum et al., 2009). He said these expressions are universal and look the same for every individual. In the textbook, Ekman stated that when people try to hide their emotions, their true emotions will show on their faces (p.4.4, Pozzulo et al., 2022). Dr. Ten Brinke found that deception is characterized by inappropriate expressions of happiness and failure to display appropriate sadness when talking about losing a relative (p.4.5, Pozzulo et al., 2022). Overall, the textbook states that it is difficult to distinguish between real non-verbal detectors of deception compared to fake ones. Gaze Aversion Cal Lightman and the textbook share similar views on the role of eye contact and deception. Cal stated that no eye contact means that a person is actively trying to remember a memory, indicating they are telling the truth (Baum et al., 2009). However, when a person maintains constant eye contact, they are overcompensating by trying to look innocent; therefore, they are lying (Baum et al., 2009). The textbook expressed a similar view, stating that nonverbal cues such as gaze aversion and self-manipulation are not reliable indicators of deception (p. 4.5, Pozzulo et al., 2022). Additionally, Mann and colleagues reported that people are more likely to deliberately look at you when telling a lie to appear more convincing (p.4.5, Pozzulo et al., 2022). Verbal Cues Vanessza Baranyai Verbal cues of deception are subtle language-related indicators that may suggest a person is being untruthful. In the show, Cal believes that people are lying when they are rigidly repeating words (Baum et al., 2009). Also, it was stated that people stop using contractions and start using distancing language when lying (Baum et al., 2009). Furthermore, liars rehearse their story in order so that when asked to tell a story backwards, they have difficulty because there is no real memory of the event, and the story was not rehearsed backwards (Baum et al., 2009). The textbook mentions verbal cues as well. On page 4.4, a study showed that people who were more likely to pay attention to voice pitch were more likely to recognize deception (p.4.4, Pozzulo et al., 2022). Furthermore, lectures and the textbook state that liars provide fewer details than truth tellers, are more likely to repeat words, speak in a higher-pitched voice, and are more likely to have speech errors (p4.4, Pozzulo et al., 2009) (Oct 19 lecture, Marion, 2023). Polygraph Test In the show, polygraph testing was briefly mentioned. Cal stated that polygraph tests only show that a person is feeling guilty or deceived, not the reasoning behind feeling guilty (Baum et al., 2009). Individuals can have different physiological reactions due to a variety of reasons; therefore, it is difficult to determine whether they are being deceitful or if there are external factors. The lecture slides stated that lying causes physiological arousal combined with systematic questioning, lying can be detected (Oct 19 lecture, Marion, 2023). There are issues with polygraph testing because, in a guilty person, relevant questions generate stronger reactions than control questions, while the opposite is true for an innocent person (Oct 19 lecture, Marion, 2023). The polygraph tests are not the most useful because there is no distinctive set of physiological reactions that are uniquely associated with deception (Oct 19 lecture, Marion, 2023). Body temperature According to Cal in the show, hands get colder faster when someone is lying because their fight or flight responses kick in (Baum et al., 2009). Based on the lecture material, it is far-fetched to believe that colder hands would prove that someone is lying, as it is a physiological change (Oct 19 lecture, Vanessza Baranyai Marion, 2023). These changes are not good predictors of lying because there are numerous external factors affecting them. Gestual emblem A gestural emblem is a familiar gesture within a culture or group that communicates a particular message without the use of words. In the show and the textbook, it is stated that gestural emblems are valid predictors of lying (p.4.4, Pozzulo et al., 2022). People exaggerate movements when telling stories to seem convincing or due to nervousness (p.4.4- 16, Pozzulo et al., 2022). Part 2 (A): This case would be difficult to judge as a juror. Multiple factors need to be taken into consideration, and sexual abuse is a serious topic to make judgments on. Based on the textbook, I would need more information to make a decision. Also, some questions arose while reading the facts about the case. First, if A remembered the events while going to therapy, why was Kliman never mentioned according to the medical record evidence (p. Box 6.4, Pozzulo et al., 2022)? Also, were A and B friends during middle school, and did they stay friends throughout adulthood? The testimonies stated that Kliman would excuse himself from class several times to commit sexual acts with A or B (p. Box 6.4, Pozzulo et al., 2022). It would be helpful if an older class member could back this statement up. There would have to be at least one student who would remember Kliman constantly leaving in the middle of class, as that is an odd action for a teacher. There are also other factors that I would take into consideration. First, dissociative amnesia is a psychological phenomenon which is relevant to this case. Mental health professionals have proven that this is a real phenomenon. Two mental health professionals gave their opinions regarding this case. One of them stated that there is no evidence proving that continuous sexual abuse could repress memories of sexual abuse. The other stated that there is some evidence, including research created by Dr. Yuille that supports evidence of dissociative amnesia ( p. Box 6.4, Pozzulo et al., 2022). The information the textbook gave on the professionals was limited, which made it difficult to decide which doctor was more believable. Part 2(B) Vanessza Baranyai Lindsay and Reid created criteria that identified the factors considered when determining the truthfulness of recovered memory (p. 6.3, Pozzulo et al., 2022). The first factor was that abuse before the age of 2 was difficult to remember (p.6.3, Pozzulo et al., 2022). A and B were in grade 6 when the alleged abuse occurred, meaning they were 11-12 years old. This implies that it is possible for the complainants to have recollections of abuse from the past. The second factor was the techniques used to recover memories (p. 6.3, Pozzulo et al., 2022). A & B were not actively trying to recover memories regarding the abuse. Complainant A remembered this memory during therapy for sexual abuse that happened to her in 1991. Complainant B had no memory of the abuse until interrogated by police officers regarding A’s allegations. The third factor is report similarity (p. 6.3, Pozzulo et al., 2022). The textbook does not mention any similarities between statements. However, the trial judge stated that there were improbabilities in the testimony. It was hard to believe that the teacher was able to regularly leave during class time. The fourth factor was the motivation for recall – whether the client was experiencing other psychological distress and seeking an answer to such feelings (p.6.3, Pozzulo et al., 2022). Complainant A suffered from an eating disorder and was previously sexually assaulted, which prompted her to consult a therapist. Complainant B was sexually abused by a foster brother and a neighbour when she was 11. However, she remembered the abuse when she was interrogated. The last factor was the time elapsed since the abuse (p. 6.3, Pozzulo et al., 2022). The complainants were sexually abused by Kliman in the 6th grade and made their allegations when they were in their late 20s. Therefore, more than 15 years have passed since the alleged abuse. Based on this analysis alone, the complainants are likely telling the truth because their answers align with 90% of the criteria. However, this information alone is not sufficient to make a definite statement. Vanessza Baranyai References Marion, S. (2023). Deception Detection [PowerPoint Slides]. York University deception detection.pdf Pozzulo, J., Bennett, C., & Forth, A. (2022). Forensic Psychology. (6th ed.). Pearson Canada. Baum, S (Director). (2009, January 21). Pilot (Season 1, Episode 1) [TV series episode]. In B. Grazer, A. Cary, D. Nevins (Executive Producers). Lie to Me. Fox Network.
