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It is very easy for our brain to tell the truth, but it takes tremendous energy to put together a complex lie.
Now, researchers have found a useful way to use this intelligence to catch the liars around you.
In a study published in the International Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Analysis, scientists have discovered a wonderful new way to expose liars in real time, to embarrass them, and to embarrass them along the way.
To understand how to do this, we must first understand exactly what happens in the brain when we lie.
Previous research on the topic found that when we lie, the brain has to work harder, increasing its energy consumption and temporarily affecting other cognitive abilities.
In the current study, a team of psychologists from the University of Portsmouth, UK, thought about how to use this intelligence to make the lives of liars more difficult.
The researchers recruited 164 people and asked them their views on current issues considered to be the most explosive in the UK – such as the handling of the Corona virus, Brexit and Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s.
After that, the subjects were roughly divided into two groups – liars and truth tellers.
In the second stage, researchers, who are certified psychologists, need to talk to people about the same explosive issues and present their ideas and identify liars.
To give participants an incentive to lie correctly – they promised to give cash prizes to those who could deceive intelligent investigators.
This is where the story becomes interesting – two-thirds of the models were asked to memorize the car’s license plate number, and half of the crew were told that this number would be very important for further testing.
The results of the study show that those who are asked to lie and memorize the license plate number are less skilled in this task compared to those who lie without any other fear in mind.
Professor Aldert Fridge, a social psychologist and lead author of the study, explained: “Introducing secondary tasks to the investigation will help identify lies, but the study shows that such tasks must be done with great care and skill.”
What does it mean to be careful and efficient? According to Professor Fridge: “Secondary work is only effective if the liar does not abandon it throughout the conversation.”
He added: “You can do this if you tell the interviewer that this (second) task is very necessary, or you can do this by integrating into the conversation another task that you can not stop, such as driving a car.”
Also, doing home repairs or household chores requires attention, which can make it much harder for liars to catch them active.
In other words, lies need to find stories and stick to them over time. When liars are asked to do another task — if you ask them additional questions about details they have told you in the past, it can be difficult for them to maintain the consistency and creativity needed to defend their story.
“Facts and lies may seem equally credible – as long as the speakers are given the opportunity to think carefully about what they are saying. When the ability to think deeply diminishes – the facts seem more credible than lies,” says Fridge.
So the next time you have a doubt about what people are saying to you, take yourself for a ride, help yourself to work or save something important to you. Remember that you have to lie to reveal the truth of a strange request.
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