A body language expert has unveiled the subtle signs that could indicate someone is fibbing to you. This comes after a study revealed that Brits conceal their true emotions as frequently as three times a week. A survey of 2,000 adults discovered that 34 per cent of Brits believe they have an excellent 'poker face', while 25 per cent are confident that people rarely detect when they're lying.
Conversely, two thirds reckon they can spot when someone else is telling porkies, with excessive or insufficient eye contact, nervous giggles and fidgeting being the main giveaways. This is regularly followed by a change in voice tone, blushing, and sweating.
While these align with the tell-tale signs Brits admit they are most likely to exhibit when they're lying. However, expert Judi James, who has partnered with Lottoland, has revealed that these signals don't always imply dishonesty. In fact, it could be quite the opposite.
- Woman has people howling after 'accidentally getting tied to random couple' in bar
- 'My brother is naming his son after cut of meat and won't see sense'
She said: "Body language is not a precise science and it's important to be aware of what is called The Othello Error, where what we believe to be lying traits are actually symptoms of a truthful person feeling under pressure to be believed.
"Both lying and proving your honesty can produce a stress response that can emerge as identical non-verbal signalling. "
She added: "TV programmes like The Traitors showcase this perfectly. People trying to prove they're genuine Faithful's to the other contestants will often look more guilty than the lying traitors."
Two thirds of Brits believe it's crucial to keep their emotions under wraps in public to dodge conflict and sidestep awkward situations.
While some do this to spare others' feelings, many want to maintain a professional façade, with 28 per cent most likely to conceal their true emotions in a work environment.
A spokesperson for Lottoland.co.uk said: "The ability to deceive does make an excellent poker player – it's all about not giving anything away in your facial expressions.
"A lot of the tactics they use to hide their emotions, for example fidgeting and avoiding eye contact, does also appear in the list of things people look out for to catch a liar. This is why we partnered with Judi, to see what a real expert makes of this."
JUDI JAMES’ TOP 15 COMMON TRAITS OF A LIAR:You may also like
Jihadi bride who gave birth to son in Syria pleads for him to be let into UK
'Why are we allowed a false statue...': Republican leader Alexander Duncan under fire for comment on 90-ft Texas Hanuman statue, HAF reports to GOP
Ten injured as house collapses in Indore, rescue operations underway
One Direction's Zayn Malik secures huge Las Vegas residency after reuniting with bandmate
Jimmy Kimmel Live to return to screens after suspension over Charlie Kirk comments