18 Attributes of Highly Effective Liars

[progressoid]

Niccolò Machiavelli might well have titled his 16th-century Dell'arte Della Guerra (" The Art of War ") as The Art of Lying, since verbal deception—mainly, how to get away with it—was so central to his political psychology...
And at least one team of scientists, led by Dutch psychologist Aldert Vrij , believes that it has identified the precise ingredients of "good liars." These researchers outline the following 18 traits that, if ever they were to coalesce in a perfect storm of a single perpetrator, would strain even seasoned interrogators’ lie-detection abilities:

(1) manipulativeness. "Machiavellians" are pragmatic liars who aren’t fearful or anxious. They are "scheming but not stupid," explain the authors. "In conversations, they tend to dominate, but they also seem relaxed, talented and confident."

(2) acting. Good actors make good liars; receptive audiences encourage confidence.

(3) expressiveness. Animated people create favorable first impressions, making liars seductive and their expressions distracting.

etc...


http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=18-attributes-of-highly-effective-l-2011-07-07

Edit to add link to a pdf of the study: http://web.me.com/gregdeclue/Site/Volume_1__2009_files/2009-excerpt-Vrij.pdf

[robinlynne]

1. very interesting.

[DURHAM D]

2. I thought this was a post about Casey Anthony. nt

[11 Bravo]

3. I assumed it was about Marcus and Michele Bachmann.

[Zorra]

4. Thanks. K,R, bookmarked for reference. nt