Spotting The Liar In the Courtroom and In Interrogation Tapes

by Dr. Lillian Glass

This past year we saw a lot of courtroom drama from the Casey Anthony case to countless other criminal cases. We have literally watched people lie through their teeth . We watched Cindy and George’s multiple signals of deception as they appeared on the stand. How these two have avoided going to jail for perjury is beyond me. Anyone else who did what they did would be behind bars by now.

Here are some body language, facial language, voice and speech tells you can look for the next time you look at a tape where someone is being interrogated or you watch them giving testimony in the courtroom.

Body Language

1. Watch if they shirk back or lean away from the interviewer or the attorney when crucial information is discussed.
2. They may rock back an forth a means of self soothing.
3. They may bush repeatedly brush off imaginary lint on their clothing.
4. Fiddling with their hands and wringing their hands on crucial information.
5. Repeatedly scratching themselves as though they have an itch.
6. Shuffling their feet during key questioning
7. Not moving arms or legs when speaking
8. Hands folded on lap and no movement whatsoever
9. Audible breathing or immediate changes in breathing pattern
10. Hunches over during crucial questioning or discussing significant issues

Facial Language

1. Blushing, flushing or blanching during significant questioning.
2. Pulling on their nose or ears
3. Scratching their head , nose or ears, or cheeks,
4. Puffing out their cheeks and quickly exhaling a large amount of air.
5. Upper chest breathing and taking in large amount of air.
6. Adams apple movement and swallowing during crucial questioning
7. Cotton mouth
8. Lip licking and licking of teeth
9. Pursing the lips indicating they are holding back information.
10. Tilting head to the side during key questioning
11. Rapid eye blinking
12. Breaking eye contact during crucial questioning
13. Staring
14. Not looking at questioner at all
15. Eyes can widen during key questioning indicating surprise at getting caught
16. Rubs eyes during key questioning
17. Bows head down

Voice and Speech Patterns

1. Nervous coughing
2. Constant throat clearing
3. Dying off at end of sentences
4. Mumbling or speaking inaudibly
5. Pitch of voice raises during key questioning
6. Gets defensive or overly aggressive during key questioning
7. Answers a question with a question
8. Repeats verbatim question interrogator or attorney asked
9. Stammers or hesitates over key words
10. Says like um uh a lot when explaining things
11. Goes off on tangents and doesn’t get to the point
12. Gives too much detailed information
13. Often doesn’t make sense
14. Inconsistent stories
15. Monotone or inappropriate emotion based on topic discussed

While not everyone of these tells means that a person is lying, if you see enough of them during the context of what is being discussed, there is a high likelihood that they are not being forthright or telling the truth. 

www.drlillianglass.com

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What Message Does Lindsay Lohan’s Four Hour Jail Stint and Casual Body Language Give to Young People?

by Dr. Lillian Glass

The fact that Lindsay Lohan has just been released from a 30 day jail sentence after four and a half hours sends a horrible message to young men and women. It says that you don’t have to be accountable for your actions and that you will get away with it. Body language wise she appeared relaxed after her sushi dinner the night before, as she entered the jail, knowing full well that she most likely would not be there very long.

Her nonchalant body language gives a clear message that you can chose bad behavior and it will all work out fine because of who you are.

Even if the jails are overcrowded in Los Angeles, in my view they needed to find a space especially for Lindsay to do the time. This was not her first time, her second time, her third time, or her forth time. She needed to be held accountable.

Seeing how she can get away with everything will not help her life in the long run.

Lindsay came to court with her puffy lip trout pout and arrived at the jail with her stylish high fashion makeup, complete with what looks like a double set of lashes and the latest designer clothing . It appears that is nothing but mere a PR showcase for her . There is no remorse for her continued bad and entitled.

Lindsay has been in jail five times already and she is still in her twenties. This is NOT a good sign. Unless she gets major counseling and deals with the underlying cause that stimulates her aberrant behavior ,she is headed for more of the same as she ages. Trouble will follow her forever unless he gets to the root of her troubles- her parents.

There is no question that the root of her problems have a lot to do with her parents in my view. Last week her father ended up behind bars for the sixth time. For violating a restraining order and for alleged abuse. An enabling mother and an out of control father may very well be contributors towards her acting out.

But like her dysfunctional and forgiving parents, Hollywood is also forgiving, especially if there is money to be made. It seems that money will be made with a full frontal nude photo shoot for Playboy.

It seems that those who have been able to insure her for a film also believe they will make money. But the reality of this is that if the Playboy magazines don’t sell or the films in which she appears don’t sell, there is no next time for Lindsay.

After all , in Hollywood, you are only as good as your last gig and if it doesn’t go well, neither will your career. But then there is always the “comeback” as Hollywood loves a good comeback story a la Robert Downey Jr.

While she may have “lucked out” and beat the legal system for now, in the long run as history has shown us, bad behaviors do have a way of finally catching up with people.

Even though it may be disturbing to see her skirt justice and watch her entitled body language , it may be short lived.

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Will The Anthony's Lie to Dr. Phil?

by Dr. Lillian Glass

On September 12 we will hear more from Cindy and George Anthony as they appear on the Dr. Phil Show to reveal "the truth” about Casey Anthony and her daughter Caylee’s death. My question is why these two liars didn’t reveal the truth when they were on the stand in a court of law? Yes, I said liars! Cindy’s body language and communication showed she lied repeatedly on the stand. The same is true for George. After seeing them on the stand, one can understand why Casey turned out the way she did. At least Dr. Phil, whom I know and respect, will demand they tell the truth and will not put up with any of their nonsense.

It is despicable to me that these two liars are now making a reported half-a-million dollars be appear on television to be grilled by Dr. Phil. It has been reported that the money will go into the Caylee Anthony Charity Fund for Missing Children. And who are executives in charge of this “charity?” Are they George and Cindy? How are the monies from this charity being spent? So they go into George and Cindy’s pockets? Also, Caylee was not a missing child. She was a murdered or drowned child. Take your pick. We were all duped and lead on a wild goose chase by Casey and then by Cindy and George.

In looking at the body language of the promo, Cindy looks like a deer in the headlights when Dr. Phil appears to put her on the spot. She looks wide-eyed and physically turns to George with her hunched over shoulders, indicating that most likely she has been busted by Dr. Phil. Also in the promo, Dr. Phil point-blank asks, "Do you think Casey was involved in Caylee’s death?" Cindy hunches over and turns to George who purses his lips together as you can see. This indicates that he doesn’t want to answer the question. No doubt this former policeman knows exactly what happened to Caylee and Casey’s involvement.

Dr. Phil appears to be very direct with Cindy, who is beautifully made up complete with fake lashes in an attempt to make her look attractive, her body language is anything but attractive. She has turtle posture, where she hides her neck and hunches her shoulders like a turtle. People who have something to hide usually demonstrate this posture. Then in the promo Dr. Phil asks George, “Why did you sit on this information?” George is in true wimp form where he continues to not man up, turns to Cindy as he looks over at her in hopes she can rescue him from Dr. Phil’s direct line of questioning.

It will be interesting to see if they lie to Dr. Phil or they tell the truth. Look for tell-tale signs such as lip licking, excessive eye blinking, stammering, lip pursing, hemming and hawing, looking away, and scratching, to name a few.

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Body Language Does Not Lie in Casey Anthony Trial

by Dr. Lillian Glass

I have repeatedly said that the body does not lie. I have also said that no matter how hard a person tries to conceal their thoughts and feelings, the truth eventually leaks out through one’s body language and facial expressions. It doesn’t matter how hard the person tries to hide it. That was the case with Casey Anthony's last appearance in the courtroom.

While Casey Anthony, charged with murdering her daughter Caylee, may have been coached to sit up straight, or may have been given an image makeover with a unique hairdo, the truth always prevails as far as body language is concerned. The truth is that Casey is still flirting with attorney Jose Baez in the courtroom. It is clearly not endearing, and it is definitely not charming. In fact, it is incongruent with the reason she is in court in the first place.

Anyone accused of murdering a child, especially their own child, has absolutely nothing to smile about whatsoever. The last time we saw Casey beaming with smiles and laughter in the courtroom was when a  law clerk on her legal team was ambushed by Jose Baez and was unexpectedly sworn in as an attorney. But now there is clearly nothing to smile about. Her latest appearance in court dealt with some very serious matters, on which her life hinges. They involve very major issues in her cases, such as what would or would not be admissible.

The second Casey is seen walking into the courtroom there is a smirk on her face. No doubt, after being locked up in her jail cell with little or no human contact all this time, she is thrilled to be out among people. But the fact that she enters the courtroom with a smirk on her face is disconcerting. It does not matter that she has a form fitting blue sweater that showcases her  curvy figure to make her look  sexy and appealing. It does not matter that she has a new hairdo. It does not matter how good she looks if her behavior and actions are inappropriate.

Studies have shown that if a person looks good, then they are perceived more favorably by a jury. However, that theory  is null and void when behavior is inappropriate. Casey Anthony’s recent courtroom behavior is inappropriate, in my view, especially as it pertains to Jose Baez.

While she always seems to have her ritualistic behavior going on where she repeatedly grooms herself, she is doing even  more self grooming than usual. Note the double-handed hair groom. It may have been done  in anticipation of seeing Jose. Now we see her facial expression change as she begins an anticipatory smile.  That means she is getting excited that she will be having  an upcoming interaction with Jose. Like a school girl, she readies and vigorously grooms  herself  so the  man she finds attractive, Jose, will, in turn, find her mutually attractive

Jose sits  down next to her and Casey does an initial eye flash of excited recognition. She then exhibits body language behavior that clearly indicates flirtation and coquettishness. She immediately breaks eye contact and gazes downward, all while trying to suppress a smile. But she cannot do it for long. The truth always leaks out, body language-wise.

She beams a huge toothy smile, as she appears beyond thrilled to see Jose. She immediately notices a change in Jose’s appearance, namely his new hair cut.  She lasers in on his hair change. She obviously likes what she sees, as she can’t stop smiling. We  even hear her saying to Jose that he cut his hair.  No doubt Jose’s new closely cropped 'do makes him look more hip and younger in her eyes, and she lets him know it. Her shoulder is rotated forward, indicting a flirtatious action. She has an open-mouthed, tooth-showing smile, which indicates she can’t hide that she  genuinely likes what she sees.

There is no doubt that Jose is flattered. Both Casey and Jose are now laughing at something they see in the  monitor in front of them. It must really be amusing because Jose’s cheeks are raised and his eyes are crinkling. We have rarely seen Jose with this type of expression. Instead,  we usually see him with a serious facial demeanor.  Casey continues to self groom in subconscious flirtation with Jose.

No matter what they are looking at, it looks bad to others who are watching them.  It would be one thing if Jose was looking at something  in the monitor and it amused him, or if there was something he found funny.  But the fact Casey is joining in and being equally amused is disconcerting. What in the world could be funny two both of them at a time like this? I guess  Casey needs to find joy and laughter where she can because, when she is sentenced to a lethal needle, there will be nothing to laugh about.

And, yes, that is a very real possibility, especially if a jury sees her laughing and smiling and flirting and carrying on like she doesn’t have a care in the world. To a jury, it will be sickening.  That is what happened to Amanda Knox, who  now sits in an Italian jail cell accused  of murdering her roommate. Like Amanda’s jury, who saw her laughing and acting as though she did not have a care in the world, if Casey acts similarly, her actions will anger a jury as well.

It will no longer matter if there is a male juror who finds Casey sexy or attractive, or if a female juror identifies with her or takes pity on her. It will all be negated when she leaks out her true self.  When she shows that she is amused and laughs and flirts, jurors will take that as a signal that she has little or no feeling about what happened to her own daughter Caylee.

Afterword, we see Casey begin to  rigorously groom herself even more. At one point, she even turned away so that we could see the back of her hair, which she creatively coiffed into  an unusual looking do. It looked like a combo of three different styles that she flung to one side and let hang over her shoulder.

The bottom line in all of this is that while Casey’s looks may indeed be a factor  in how she is perceived by a jury, it won’t matter. It's the leaking out of her lustful feelings toward Jose and her uncaring lack of feelings toward her daughter that ultimately will matter to a jury.

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Will Casey Anthony’s Physical Appearance and Body Language Help Spare or End Her Life?

by Dr. Lillian Glass

As a body-language and communication expert, I have spent more than 20 years studying human behavior. I know a great deal about how people think and what they perceive about others. This information has been valuable to attorneys who've have used my consulting expertise, especially when it comes to picking a jury and preparing witnesses for trial.

In jury selection, the way a person looks or speaks can have a great impact on how the jury perceives them. My research has shown that a person who speaks well is perceived as more physically attractive than those who do not speak well.

While we would like to think that decisions jurors make about the fate of defendants in a court of law are based solely on the facts and the evidence, the reality is that in many instances, this may not be the case.

Recent studies confirm what we have known for decades -- that the way a person looks and speaks can influence others' perceptions of guilt or innocence. As superficial and unfair as it seems, attractive defendants are judged more positively than unattractive ones.

In a survey done a few years ago, close to 95 percent of the respondents said that a defendant’s physical appearance shouldn't bias a jury. More than 80 percent said only a defendant's character and previous history should influence jurors' decisions.

However, in a mock jury trial, it was found that physically attractive defendants were evaluated with less certainty of guilt and received a less severe punishment than for those perceived as unattractive defendants.

Studies, however, have also shown that female jurors tend to be less sympathetic towards female defendants when they perceive that the woman on trial has used her good looks to her advantage.


So if female jurors are able to see photos of Casey Anthony’s partying, hear testimony of her past behaviors, and believe she used her looks or charm to manipulate family members, friends, and especially boyfriends to get what she wanted, a majority of them will not look favorably upon her.

On the other hand, male jurors' reactions are often the opposite. They tend to give attractive women the benefit of the doubt. Based on what we have seen in jailhouse letters sent to Casey behind bars by male fans, she has received a considerable number of compliments about her attractive physical appearance.

Some of these infatuated men, all of whom she has never even met, think nothing of adding money to her jailhouse account. Others want to date her; some want to take care of her. A number of men want to go away with her, while others write that they want to marry her.

If male jurors in Casey's trial on charges she murdered her own two-year-old daughter, Caylee, also find Casey physically attractive, this may have a significant implications, not only in whether or not she's is found guilty, but also in the degree and severity of her punishment if she is. Thus her physical attractiveness could be a key factor as to whether or not she gets the death penalty.

Perhaps the attorneys might want to ask all potential male jurors whether they find Casey Anthony physically attractive, by using a Likert-type five-point rating scale. Those who give her the top score of 5 will most likely be the ones to spare her life.

But the only thing that will equalize Casey’s looks and how people perceive her is her body language. As the old saying goes, “pretty is as pretty does.” As we have already seen in Casey’s body language in the courtroom these past two years, she has some pretty negative behaviors. When they leak out, they can’t help but alienate jurors. So in the long run, her looks will be balanced out by her body language.

The evidence in the Casey Anthony case should definitely speak for itself. But like it or not, based on the results of research on physical appearance which has been documented through the years, chances are that it may not be the only thing that jurors are evaluating when it comes to deciding Casey’s guilt or innocence or whether she will live or die.

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Reading Body Language with Joe Navarro

by Andrea Campbell

I am happy to share my new friend, Joe Navarro, with my readers. I think you'll enjoy my interview with Joe and take him into your thoughts.

Q.: Joe, for Women in Crime Ink readers, please describe your background.

 A.: I was born in Cuba, but as with so many, we fled communism and the cult of Fidel Castro and found refuge in America. I grew up in Miami and went to school at Brigham Young University to play football. Upon graduation, I was hired by the FBI, where I served for twenty-five years in counter-intelligence. In essence, I was a spy-catcher.

 Q.: What are non-verbal communications?

 A.: Non-verbal communications encompass anything we do as humans that share thoughts, feelings, or intentions, or that appeal to our aesthetic as well as comfort needs. Everything from art, to soothing colors, to good behavior, comes under that broad umbrella, including body language, which is exactly that: what we communicate with our bodies. 

 Q.: Your book, "What Every Body is Saying," is the result of what type of experience?

A.: What Every Body is Saying is based on thirty-plus years of study, training, and teaching, along with hands-on experience. I wrote it to share with others what I learned the hard way by studying non-verbals for many years and by using  that knowledge in a forensic and intelligence setting, where few mistakes are allowed.
(At right above: A man with compressed lips. Compressed lips are always associated with negative emotions or with something we dislike.)

Q.: In "Every Body," you mention that your family and childhood are partly responsible for your instinct for this discipline. How so? 

A.: As with most children, I learned to read those around me. In doing so, I learned to look for their most-useful behaviors, and I learned to look for the things I saw them look for. My mother always insisted on making others comfortable; in doing so she garnered friends from many walks of life and faith. I learned the power of making others comfortable to achieve better interpersonal relationships. Coming to a country where I did not speak the language meant I had to rely heavily on learning to read others. So I became very sensitive to body language.

 Q.: What are some key principles readers should keep in mind about speed-reading others?

 A.: 1. Our bodies are constantly transmitting information about our thoughts, feelings, and intentions. There is no such thing as a body that says nothing. The body is always “on.” Even when someone is deep in REM sleep, their body tells us when they're having a nightmare.
 2. Everyone has different but consistent ways of displaying comfort and discomfort in real time. You may bite your lip when you are stressed, while I press my lips together. Each action and expression serves the same purpose: to pacify us.
 3. We can improve our interactions with others, from children and spouses to workmates and friends, by reading their body language accurately.
 4. Being able to read and interpret body language is key to success in any venture and what Daniel Goleman talked about when he wrote Emotional Intelligence.
 5. Body language alerts us to dangers or potential dangers. When Gavin de Becker wrote The Gift of Fear, he was talking about body language that warns us of danger. It's something we should teach our children and loved ones. For example: Teach children to summon an elevator themselves and to stand far back from the doors while waiting. Only once they've read and quickly summed up the body language of those inside as safe should they enter. Children who wait too close to the doors may feel compelled to step inside as soon as the car stops, without taking a moment to assess others around them.
 6. We can use body language to enhance leadership qualities as well as communicate more effectively. The best leaders have great body-language skills.
 7. Body language is a world-wide lingua franca. When all else fails, our body language will save us.
 8. Non-verbals are all around us, from the curbside appeal of your local bank to your own, personal appeal.
 9. Body language can assist us in detecting deception, but that's very tricky.
 10. Learning to read others accurately enhances our lives and those of the people we care for.

Q.: How were you able to use these skills with the FBI?

A.: In the FBI, body language is the one element you use every day, whether for surveillance or for interviewing.  We watch as a criminal leaves his house. How do we, as observers, know he is up to no good? We look at how often he looks at his watch, how often he peers inside the store he is considering robbing, how many cigarettes he smokes every thirty minutes as his stress level builds, how often he touches the belt on his strong-arm side, where he's hidden his weapon. All these non-verbals tell the trained eye that he's “casing” a place to rob, and that he is armed. 
(At right: Here a woman is touching the neck dimple, or suprasternal notch, which we do when we are insecure, concerned, anxious, afraid, or emotionally troubled.)

Q.: What exactly is counter-intelligence? How many people are in this profession?

A.: Counter-intelligence is that part of the intelligence community that looks for spies and terrorists. It attempts to identify, recruit, penetrate or neutralize them through legal means. The number of people who work counter-intelligence is always classified, but I can tell you we never had enough help. At any one time, we have 20 or more countries spying aggressively against the United States; counter-intelligence agents try to block such spying. 

Q.: What are the benefits of knowing body language and its signs?

A.:  The benefits are that you can read people’s feelings, thoughts, intentions. For instance, while you are talking to someone, you notice their right foot is pointed toward the exit. You know they would like to talk more, but the foot is very accurately saying "I have to leave -- now, in this direction." It allows you to say, “I know you have to get going; we'll talk later.” Or, you see that someone immersed in a cell-phone conversation is holding his heel to the ground and toes in the air. When he's through, you ask: “Good news?” The question is safe because the posture of his foot already answered you. Reading body language makes you look smart, sensitive and caring, at times almost clairvoyant.

Q.: How could we, as ordinary people, interpret and use these signals? How do we learn to do that? How long does it take to become proficient? 

A.: The beauty of body language is that we come elegantly equipped to study it and put it to use immediately. It's not like trigonometry. If I tell you, accurately, that we only touch or massage our necks when something is troubling us, you can put that knowledge to use immediately. And the beauty of it is that you can learn to read and empirically validate more unconscious cues every day. It's a skill that can be learned but is perishable if not practiced. Every study I've read says we can always hone these skills, and that women are usually slightly better than men at reading non-verbals. How long it takes to become proficient depends on how much effort you put into learning and practicing. I've had people take my online course and become highly proficient and professional within four months.

An interesting phenomenon is today's high incidence of autism in children. Autistic children are innately unable to read body language, including basic facial expressions. They must be taught to recognize non-verbal cues and to understand what they mean. That training may help them work with other people and even develop empathy, breaking through their internal isolation.

Q.: Would you relate a particularly interesting criminal case to illustrate this discipline?

A.: I interviewed one spy for over a year. During that time, he confessed, but we didn't arrest him because we wanted him to lead us to others. As in most spy or terror cells, each member knows as little as possible. This spy didn't have the particular information we were looking for, but he likely knew someone who did. He refused to identify anyone involved with him. So we assembled a stack of index cards with the names of each person who might have access to that information.

Twice he reacted to a name; his pupils constricted and the orbits of his eyes narrowed. Out of 32 names, his unconscious eye behavior accurately revealed the two who later confessed. Our pupils constrict and our eye orbits narrow in response to things that can hurt us or make us uncomfortable. (At right, above: This man is rubbing his hands with his fingers intertwined. That reveals a high degree of concern or worry. It usually shows up when someone is trying to explain something very complicated or dense, or when someone is receiving bad news.)

Q.: How have you used these skills outside of criminal applications?

A.: In business, knowing body language is imperative. At one meeting where two sides were negotiating and a contract was being read aloud, I noticed opposing counsel purse his lips when he got to one particular paragraph. Because I caught the signal in time, our lead negotiator used the information then and there, saving us almost $13 million. Pursed lips mean "I disagree" or "I'd rather we do something else."

Q.: What is “concerted observation”? How do we learn to use it, and how hard is it to learn? Is it beyond the reach of some people no matter how hard they try? 

A.: Concerted observation means that we see, observe, interpret, and then use the knowledge body language gives us. It's the opposite of passive observation, where we see cues but don't interpret them or use them. 

Some people can't read others, so they behave in ways that drive others away. They stand too close, don’t know when to stop talking, touch too much instead of observing the other person's unspoken reactions. When someone violates those rules, they make us uncomfortable. In turn, making others uncomfortable burdens the violator with a lifelong handicap that keeps desires and ambitions out of reach.

Q.: What are “multiple tells”?

A.: Multiple tells are clusters of behavior. I see or hear something I don’t like; I tense my jaw, compress my lips and squint my eyes. I don’t have to say a word. That cluster of behaviors, or multiple tells, reveal  attest to something negative no matter what my mouth says.

Q.: Do people have micro-expressions that are so natural, they don’t even realize they are doing them? Feel free to share a case.

A.: Think of micro-expressions as tiny leakage. We all leak something. Maybe it’s a fleeting smirk or a quick squint. The fact that it is small suggests that I am trying to suppress it. Ironically, trying to suppress it is what reveals it. Micro-expressions are very accurate. I interviewed a man who pushed his glasses up his nose with the middle finger of his right hand every time he was asked a question about his travel to China. This let me know he really didn't like those questions; otherwise, he'd have pushed his glasses up with his index finger. 

Q.: What are the most important features to fix on? And how do you observe someone without letting them know they're being watched?

A.: You have to relax your own eyes so people don’t feel you're stalking them. When your eyes relax, they take in more information. Learn to observe the whole body. Most people focus on the face, yet the feet are more accurate in revealing true feelings. For instance, if you walk next to someone you don't like, your feet will not step anywhere close to them.

Q.: Are all of us hard-wired to do one obvious thing?

A.: We're all hard-wired for emotional behavior and anything limbic in nature, such as the sense of smell. The limbic system, also known as the Paleomammalian brain or primitive brain, controls emotions such as anger, fear, and pleasure, along with motivations including those related to basic survival. So if you walk near the edge of a cliff, your limbic system makes you move carefully, protecting you from falling off.  This is hard-wired in. So is covering or closing our eyes when we hear something we don't like. Even children who are born blind cover their eyes.  

Q.: Asked a list of questions, such as “Did you do A? Did you do B?", do people always give themselves away with their body language?

A.: General questions don't usually elicit reactions that reveal the truth. Specific questions often do. For example, asked "did you kill her with a gun?" and "did you kill her with an ice pick?", the murderer knows he used an ice pick, so he'll show signs of discomfort only in reaction to the ice-pick question.

 Q.: Do you analyze people you meet, as a matter of habit?

 A.: It never stops. And it shouldn't for you. Always look for signs of comfort and discomfort. Like software, the search for signs runs in the background and alerts you when necessary. No, I never shut it down.

 Q.: Can parents use body-language knowledge to know their children better?

 A.: Absolutely. The ability to note and interpret body-language cues will help you see when a child is struggling with something, for example. You can use it to defuse tension between you and your child just by standing to the side when you ask questions rather than directly in front of him. When you stand directly in front of someone, they stop wanting to talk to you. People talk more honestly when sitting or walking side-by-side than when directly in front of each other. You can teach your children body language, as already described, to avoid dangers by reading others. There's much more, similarly useful, information in my book. 

Q.: So you blog? Where and why?

Yes. On Psychology Today.  It broadens my exposure to people interested in the subjects I write about; some 10,000 people read the blog articles.  

Q.: What are some of your other books about?

A.: Advanced Interviewing Techniques is about how to best shape questions, your own body language, and other factors to elicit the most information. 
Hunting Terrorists explains the terrorist mind and gives clue to identifying terrorists. 
Read ‘em and Reap is about the "tells" of poker players.
Louder than Words is about the non-verbals of business. 

I also have short, to-the-point books on Kindle. They deal with a variety of subjects including spotting psychopaths, body language of dating, and the psychology of body language. They can be found at:  http://tinyurl.com/y8nsmhv

Q.: What do you think of the popular television show "Lie to Me"? How about The Mentalist?

A.: The science behind Lie to Me is excellent, but I can assure you it's never as easy as they make it seem. Never. Many of the behaviors associated with deception are also associated with discomfort or stress. That’s why so many people who've since been exonerated by DNA had earlier confessed. They suffered so much stress under police questioning that they looked guilty; they signed confessions to relieve the stress. Best example of this: the New York Jogger case, in which five innocent teens were convicted of the rape and nearly fatal beating of a 28-year-old woman based on their videotaped confessions. They confessed after long hours of stressful police interrogation; they withdrew the confessions and pled not guilty at trial. The boys spent years in prison, and were only exonerated 13 years later when the real attacker confessed. Using the only DNA found at the scene, police verified his confession; the DNA matched him. Oops, people do become stressed when not properly interviewed.

As for the Mentalist, good TV I suppose, but not very accurate when it comes to the reality of it all. The shows are interesting but not realistic. 

Q.: What's on your agenda for the future?

A.:  I have eight books in my head waiting to be written. I'm scheduled for some 45 speeches a year, all over the world, for the next three years. I'm also hoping to make a new video with the BBC.  

If you have any questions about body language, write me at www.jnforensics.com. I try to answer all my e-mails.
Photos courtesy of Harper Collins

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