On Dutch TV they will be starting to broadcast ‘Lie to Me’, a TV series (see Wikipedia). The series is founded on the idea that it is possible to tell a lie from seeing a few ´tell-tale signs’. Watching downwards indicates you’re guilty. Biting your lip indicates lying. That sort of stuff. Paul Ekman and his colleague Friesen did research on this idea back in the 1970’s which is still the only evidence, as far as I am aware of, that the idea holds any real value.
Lie to Me
Personally, I find it very hard to believe that people are such bad liars that they can be spotted so unambiguously. But then again, I have my doubts about physiological lie detection tests too. Even if everything is done properly (including additional testing to detect masking efforts) they will still have a 5% fault margin I’m told by a guy doing such tests. What then to make of a lip bite? There is a world of gestures and signs on our two lips, see for example this entry in the ‘nonverbal dictionary’ (here). I am not too fond of that dictionary, again because of its total lack of appreciation of ambiguity and human resourcefulnes. But it shows a nice collection of ‘lip signs’.
There is simple too little known about the usefulnes of behavioral clues to detect lies. To what extent can people control their behavior? Can they suppress it? Is it ‘unconscious’ or unwilling? Is it entirely beyond the will of a crook acting a saint? Can people mask the behavior? Or throw up a smokescreen of ‘tell tale signs’? Does everyone show these signs in the same manner? What about men and women? Children and adults? Japanese and Nigerian people? People from Boston or New York? Married or unmarried? Parents or not?
In addition, to what extent can observers, like the main characters in Lie to Me suppress their personal opinion. Will they not be influenced by the power of suggestion and spot that what they wish to see? If I think a man is guilty I will easily notice his every downward glance, won’t I. The eye of the beholder is not an innocent eye.
Please, good people of the world. Watch ‘Lie to Me’ for your entertainment, but do not think it is based on scientific evidence.
Well, it’s official.
I have shed my fur and emerged with a newfound dignity.
My PhD days have come to an end last monday.
You are reading a weblog by dr. ir. Arendsen.
The TU Delft sent out a press release about my PhD work and PhD defense next monday and that of Jeroen Lichtenauer, who is defending this afternoon, 15:00u Aula TU Delft. And Gineke ten Holt is the third promovenda who is still working on the project (having started later).
Hi Jeroen, Have you heard of Galton’s measurement of boredom with fidgets?
“Many mental processes admit of being roughly measured. For instance, the degree to which people are bored, by counting the number of their fidgets. I not infrequently tried this method at the meetings of the Royal Geographical Society, for even there dull memoirs are occasionally read. [...] The use of a watch attracts attention, so I reckon time by the number of my breathings, of which there are 15 in a minute. They are not counted mentally, but are punctuated by pressing with 15 fingers successively. The counting is reserved for the fidgets. These observations should be confined to persons of middle age. Children are rarely still, while elderly philosophers will sometimes remain rigid for minutes altogether.”
The text apparently comes from his “memories of life” but many references to it can be found on the web and on Google Books. Kind regards, Gaël
Here is the fragment quoted in the book ‘Boredom: The Literary History of a State of Mind’ by Patricia Meyer Spacks.
Apparently, I was not the first to use the word ‘fidgets’ in a scientific context. How sad and how wonderful. I think I should read a bit more about Francis Galton. Hmm, first impressions: what a giant of a man… As far as interest in fidgeting goes, I seem to be in good company
Hajime Sakamoto is the founder of the Hajime Research Institute and creator of an impressive series of robots. He recently hit the news big time with ‘Hajime 33′.
It’s tall. It’s weird. It has gigantic eyebrows. And it plays soccer. Meet ‘Hajime 33′.
Wonderful news for football referees and for anyone interested in the perception of human actions: A scientist, Paul Morris, has revealed the secret of the appearance of body movements during faked dives.
From the Portsmouth University website: Principal lecturer Dr Paul Morris has produced a study that he hopes could help referees know when a top player has genuinely been fouled or taken a dive.
Paul’s research shows that there are distinct actions which footballers use – either individually or in any combination - when faking a fall. These include:
# clutching their body where they haven’t been hit
# taking an extra roll when they hit the ground
# after being tackled taking fully controlled strides before falling
# holding up both arms in the air, with open palms, chest thrust out, legs bent at the knee in an “archer’s bow” position
“In most dishonest tackles the behaviour itself does not indicate dishonesty – the deception is revealed in the timing and co-ordination of the behaviours,” said Paul.
“But one action is unique to a faked fall – the archer’s bow. This occurs in many dives but biomechanically it does not occur in a natural fall. Instead instinctively the arms either go down in an attempt to cushion the fall or out to the side for balance.
“Although this behaviour is absurd, the fraudulent footballer does it to try to deceive the referee into believing that the tackle was illegal, and the histrionics are necessary to get the referee’s attention in the first place.
“This behaviour has no national boundaries; everyone does it, it even occurred unprompted during our research trials.”
Paul said that a player who positions his body into this peculiar shape to show that he has been fouled as a result of a tackle looks quite bizarre.
“Moving the body like this is completely controlled behaviour so it clearly doesn’t show a genuine fall.
“The moment both arms go above the shoulder is a clear indication of deception,” he said.
It is hard to believe that it is as simple as the newspaper suggest that dr. Morris has described it (you have to be careful when the media start interviewing scientists). And won’t footballers start to train on avoiding these known ‘tell-tale’ signs? Still, it is an interesting idea. Quite interesting. Essentially, ‘taking a dive’ is a combination of (a) an enactment of a fall caused by tackle, (b) a shout or other dramatic action to attract attention, and (c) an intention to deceive and convince a referee. They should send footballers to special training camps for this. Or do they already do that? And then the referees can witness those trainings and the two groups can start sharpening each other’s wits. Ah, what wonderful human beings we are.
To those who are interested in gesture or sign language perception or just curious to watch me defend my thesis in the face of furious opposition:
You are invited to attend my PhD Defence, on October 19, in the Aulu of the Delft University of Technology, at 15:00h. There will be a short presentation about the work at 14:30h, and you can drop in from around 14:00h for a last minute chat, a coffee (bring your own from downstairs) or to greet friends. There will be a reception afterward at id-Kafee (the Faculty of Industrial Design).
The committee that will grill me: Karen Emmorey, Adam Kendon, Marianne Gullberg, Berry Eggen, Ingrid Heynderickx, Huib de Ridder (promotor), Ans Koenderink-van Doorn (copromotor), and the Rector Magnificus.
More information, maps, and updates: HERE.
Indicating interest or attendance is not obliged yet appreciated and can be done through LinkedIn (HERE) or by mail.
Some YouTube user called ´toytent´ has put together a wonderful collection of videos of vintage robot toys. He also added some nice music to the movies and had some fun with backgrounds and scenarios.
My favourites? The clowns, the Kinsman, Fred Flinstone on his dino, and of course the after hour action.
