Fingerprints in the brain, how to recognise liars

The most recent discovery on the subject of lie recognition through brain indicators is Italian.

A study conducted by the three researchers Alice Mado Proverbio, Maria Elide Vanutelli and Roberta Adorni from the Department of Psychology at the University of Milan-Bicocca has shown that when a person is lying, the brain produces an unmistakable bioelectric response that can be detected using the innovative neural imaging technique.

This technique highlights the areas of the brain most active in the construction of lies, namely the frontal and prefrontal region of the left hemisphere and the anterior cingulate cortex.

The study was conducted on 25 volunteer university students, 12 male and 13 female, who were asked 296 questions balanced by topic and type of information. The questions also included data, facts and personal behaviours known to each participant.

For each answer, the specific instruction to lie or tell the truth was given. The innovative paradigm used simulates the stressful situation of interrogation, with even embarrassing questions or questions on sensitive topics. During the answers, the volunteers wore special headphones with 128 detectors that recorded the electrical activity of the brain.

The method used, based on the recording of the brain’s electromagnetic activity, was significantly more reliable than instruments such as the polygraph (better known as the truth machine) as it allows the detection of the neural response generated by the emotions the person feels during the interrogation, without the possibility of compromising the test result on the part of the interrogated subject.

The polygraph, on the other hand, since it measures changes detected in peripheral physiological aspects such as sweat and heartbeat, can easily confuse lying with an altered emotional state and its result can be manipulated by an expert subject.

This study undoubtedly represents a further step in the quest to attribute scientificity to the delicate subject of lie detection, or the far more noble quest for credibility promoted by Paul Ekman in Telling Lies (W W Norton & Company Incorporated, 2009).

An integrated approach combining the expertise of professionals working in the fields of neuroscience, psychology, emotional behaviour analysis and verbal and non-verbal communication represents the future of this subject.

In Italy, the methodologies for credibility analysis can be deepened through dedicated specialisation courses that have made it possible to spread this science even outside of laboratories and courtrooms.

The two courses certified by Paul Ekman in Italy are:

– ESaC (Emotional Skills and Competences)
– ETaC (Evaluating Truthfulness and Credibility)

For information visit: http://www.igmanagement.it/eventi.php

Source:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0059383