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By studying videos from high-stakes court cases, University of Michigan researchers are building unique lie-detecting software based on real-world data. Their prototype considers both the speaker's words and gestures, and unlike a polygraph, it doesn't need to touch the subject in order to work.
In experiments, it was up to 75 percent accurate in identifying who was being deceptive (as defined by trial outcomes), compared with humans' scores of just more than 50 percent. With the software, the researchers say they've identified several tells--behaviors that tell others you are lying. Lying individuals moved their hands more, tried to sound more certain and, somewhat counterintuitively, they looked their questioners in the eye a bit more often than those presumed to be telling the truth, among other behaviors. The system might one day be a helpful tool for security agents, juries and even mental health professionals.Image credit: Rada Mihalcea and Alex Nowlin
