VW has admitted cheating US emissions tests, landing it in serious trouble. Apparently this has been going on for years. How did those in charge manage to evade scrutiny for so long? According to psychologist Paul Ekman, the genius behind the film Inside Out, it’s easier to get away with deceit than you think.
While some people are born with above-average fib-detecting skills, most of us can’t see the microscopic facial movements that accompany a smoothly delivered lie.
You might think police officers, judges, journalists or even emissions inspectors would be better attuned to these micro-gestures, but they’re as bad at spotting them as everyone else. For now they can be analysed by slowing down a video of the liar’s face.
You can confuse a lie detector test by subjecting yourself to random bouts of pain, which masks any whoppers by generating strong physiological responses.
Some people are naturally better liars than others: if you want to play dirty, the best thing to do is identify the good liars – if you can – and hire them. Which is maybe what VW wishes it had done.
Dr Daniel Glaser is director of Science Gallery at King’s College London
