How to Spot a Lie—Deception Myth #17: Body Language is 90% of Communication…
This one’s been going around so long I can’t tell you its origin, only that it’s total bunk. It sounds intriguing, but if you’re after more than just intrigue, forget you ever heard of this.
Body Language is nothing more than body movement… that reveals something.
A lot of self-appointed gurus will tell you that body language is the key to spotting a lie. Sure, it sounds sexy, and it sells—but body language isn’t the end-all approach (or even the best one) for spotting deception, and it sure doesn’t make up 90% of the information a person communicates in conversation.
So where is the most revealing information found? Not in the body language, but simply in the words a person gives you.
There’s quite a few reasons this is true, but I’ll just give you two for now:
1- We’re able to speak about 125 words per minute. That’s a huge amount of information, ain’t it? Now consider this: How many revealing physical gestures do you suppose a person could display in one minute? Three? Five? Eight? Probably fewer, actually, but even if it were ten—that wouldn’t amount to more information than you can glean from 125 words.
2-People aren’t aware of their own body language, and so they don’t try to manipulate it for the sake of covering the truth. Now you might say, “That’s why body language is so powerful, because they don’t even know they’re giving these clues.”
A good point, but think of this: How do people lie? With their body… or with their words?
While the average person goes around subscribing to this myth about body language making up 90% of communication, a person in the moment of deception knows intuitively that it’s their words that will give them away.
Instinct always trumps common logic, you know, which is always common but rarely logical.
So the deceptive sometimes hesitate.
Or change the subject.
Or fail to directly answer your questions.
They’ll alter what they say, how they say it, even what they choose to say and choose to leave out.
And they fall through the trap door.
In their effort to conceal the truth, they end up revealing it—exactly the reason that the words a person gives you present a goldmine of information… if you know what to listen for, of course.
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The research I think you are referring to is the results of a statistical ANOVA of communication cues that indicates 93% of the predictive variance of communication is non-verbal cues. This is a consistent finding in communication research that has been cross validated.
However, non-verbal language clues includes much more than body language. It also includes such things as vocal rhythm, rate, and tone; when a person’s words are not congruent with their actions, etc…
Your article suggests a lack of true understanding of the issue and is bluntly unprofessional. 1. You categorically degrade well established research findings with nothing more than mere assertion.
You say ‘Body language’…” sure doesn’t make up 90% of the information a person communicates in conversation”, but then you do not support your assertion with anything. Are we to assume that just the power of your AWSOME opinion should have us disregard the results of research results based on an extremely powerful statistical analysis technique.
I am annoyed by people who write as if they are experts, but the most cursory review of their work indicates gross deficits in the most basic academic acumen.
In addition to a lack of any scientifically validated research in your ‘expertise’, your writing style is simply embarrassingly poor. It reveals a very weak educational foundation and a paraprofessional academic style that actually embarrasses you in the eyes of anyone who is educated at a mere undergraduate level.
I suggest you go to college and take any 101 level science class to at least learn to correct many of the obvious flaws of logical and scientific standards.
PS. Whenever you degrade other people’s ideas with personal attacks and stereotyped labeling, such as “self-appointed guru’s” you are committing one of the fundamental logical fallacies and reveal yourself as a person void of professional integrity and standards. True experts in any field of study only are critical of ideas and never make negative comments about people who we disagree with.
hi, W.S., thanks for your comment. Jef’s away this week in a remote area, I’m sure he’ll respond personally
on his return! Thanks,
-Bev