It can be a sixth sense; you know they’re lying. ‘You can see it in their eyes or hear it in their voice… so you think. Besides just following a gut feeling, there’s actually a science to figuring out if a person spews out lies. And if you catch them incorporating certain red flags in their statements, maybe it’s time to let a polygraph help determine the truth.
Ken Shull with Kendall Investigations knows deception pretty well. Being the only person in the world with a Master’s of Science in Polygraph, he’s had plenty of experience determining if someone is telling the truth. There is no shortage of liars out there. Expect a man to divvy out 109,000 lies in a lifetime and a woman to shell out 65,000.
Physical Telltale Signs of a Liar
Your sister’s been acting sketchy for months. Her behaviors make you wonder if something’s going on, and you’re concerned she’s into some illicit activities. Maybe you want to play a little detective and observe your suspicious sibling to flush out the truth before recruiting Ken Shull to administer a test.
Here are some physical signs you can watch for to try and detect deception –
- Unusual eye contact. Liars often avoid eye contact when stating false narratives. They’re not comfortable meeting your eyes when they’re giving false information.
- Facial expressions. Watch their face - it may be torn. Deceptive individuals throw out conflicting facial responses during the conversation. Pay close attention to the mouth to see if a fake smile may be spreading past their lips.
- Increased voice volume. Note if their voice grows louder as the lies start rolling off their tongue. People who don’t tell the truth tend to up their volume just a bit.
- Defensive body language. Concern may grow after asking a simple question, and you receive arms thrown up in the air, then folded and crossed in a huff. A defensive tone reacting to your inquiry could easily indicate a lie.
- Conflicting gestures. You ask a simple yes or no question… they respond yes while shaking their head no… this would be a time for challenging their story.
If Ken Shull administers a test, he’ll not only notice the physiological responses he’s recording but also can observe these unintended physical responses.
Behavioral Signs of a Liar
Here’s a hypothetical scenario: last night, your partner showed up at 2 am and attempted to sneak into bed undetected… hoping you’d sleep through the late arrival. But you’re a light sleeper and actually hadn’t fallen asleep since you stayed up waiting for them. You sit up in bed and start with the questioning. Your partner falters and can’t seem to provide satisfying responses. Their answers throw you off to the point that you think back on the past couple of months.
Sometimes, even more apparent than physical signs of lying are actual behaviors. If you find the person in question acting in these manners, you might want to consider calling Ken Shull to help investigate.
- The person suddenly vaguely responds to all of your conversations.
- The person repeats the question you just asked before they provide an answer.
- They fragment their sentences and can’t complete a full response.
- They neglect to offer up any clarification if you challenge their story.
You can learn a great deal by paying close attention to how they respond. Lack of engagement or full response should raise red flags. At the very least, these questionable behaviors provide sufficient reason to check with Ken Shull on polygraph options.
Given the gravity of how many people lie, the question then becomes if it’s severe enough to warrant asking Ken Shull for a lie detector test. Your toddler certainly doesn’t need the third degree when they state they never touched that chocolate bar… all the while, brown residue glistens while smeared all over their face.
But seriously, learning to become a bit of a detective may benefit you in the long run. Then when a serious situation arises, like your partner has started to disappear with your money or they’re hiding their phone from you, you can start by observing them to see if you think they’re being truthful. If enough red flags pop up, Ken Shull can assist you with administering a polygraph to either put your mind at ease or force a decision. Either way, you’d have an answer.
Uncover the truth!
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Ken Shull served as a Special Agent with the FBI for almost 25 years and was head of the FBI Polygraph program until his retirement in 2001. At that time he set up the Kendall Investigations practice as a private investigator in Knoxville, TN offering Polygraph services, private investigations, and security guards. Ken is a member of the American Polygraph Association and The American Association of Police Polygraphists.
The Truth is Still the Truth Even if No One Believes it, A Lie is Still a Lie Even if Everyone Believes it.