Can You Fake It? How to Detect Inconsistencies in Body Language

The Difficulty of Consistently Faking All Nonverbal Signals

Although it is common for people to attempt to fake their body language to manipulate a situation or project a confidence they do not feel, doing so successfully and sustainably is extremely difficult.

The reason is that a person can consciously control some large gestures, such as forcing a smile or maintaining an upright posture.

However, it is almost impossible to manage the multitude of micro-expressions and, above all, involuntary physiological reactions that occur simultaneously.

The body tends to "leak" the truth through these small uncontrollable channels, creating a leakage of authentic signals that an attentive observer can detect.

Telltale signs of discomfort or deception.

The key to detecting false body language is to look for signs of discomfort, as these often accompany the effort to maintain a facade.

There are several telltale indicators that are difficult to suppress:

Physiological: Increased nervous system arousal may cause mild sweating, an accelerated heart rate or dilated pupils.

Behavioral: Restlessness, a constant change of posture, difficulty in maintaining eye contact or, conversely, an unnatural fixed gaze.

Paraverbal: Unusual pauses or hesitation before answering a question, or a tone of voice that becomes abnormally high-pitched or tense.

Inconsistencies between verbal message and body language.

The clearest way to detect a misrepresentation is when there is a direct inconsistency between the verbal message and the nonverbal signals.

For example, if a person verbally states that he is "completely in agreement and enthusiastic" about a proposal, but at the same time his body shows a rigid posture, his arms are crossed and he maintains a forced smile that does not involve the eyes. In that case, we are faced with an obvious contradiction.

In these situations, our instinct correctly tells us that we should rely on the non-verbal channel, as it is a much more reliable indicator of the person's true feelings.

The importance of reading gestures as a whole, not in isolation.

Finally, the golden rule for interpreting body language is never to base a conclusion on an isolated gesture.

A single movement, such as touching the nose or crossing the arms, can have multiple meanings or none at all (it could simply be a twitch or a reaction to the cold).

A reliable interpretation can only be made by observing a set or "cluster" of gestures that occur simultaneously and point in the same direction.

If a person avoids eye contact, leans back and crosses his or her arms at the same time, the likelihood that he or she is defensive is much greater.

Reading the signals as a whole, and always within the context of the situation, is the only way to reach an accurate conclusion.

Summary

Even if one tries, consistently faking body language is extremely difficult. A person can control large gestures, such as forcing a smile, but it is nearly impossible to manage the multitude of involuntary micro-expressions and physiological reactions.

The key is to look for signs of discomfort, such as sweating, restlessness, or a tone of voice that becomes abnormally high-pitched. The clearest way to detect a misrepresentation is when there is an incongruence between the verbal message and the nonverbal cues.

The golden rule is never to base a conclusion on an isolated gesture. A reliable interpretation can only be made by observing a "cluster" or set of gestures that occur simultaneously and point in the same direction, always within the context.