Police Dupe Liar

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This video is fascinating…



Thanks to Karen for this video link!

Are you a confident lie catcher?

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Here is an interesting fact I had heard several years ago that I thought was quite interesting. I never would have guessed this:

Studies investigating lie detectors’ confidence in their decision making typically reveal three findings. First, there is usually no significant relationship between confidence and accuracy (see DePaulo, Charlton, Cooper, Lindsay, & Muhlenbruck (1997) for a meta-analysis).

Second, confidence scores amongst professional lie catchers are typically high (Allwood & Granhag, 1999; DePaulo & Pfeifer, 1986; Strömwall, 2001; Vrij, 1993) and police officers are sometimes found to be more confident than lay people (Allwood & Granhag, 1999; DePaulo & Pfeifer, 1986) (source).

Do you think you are good at spotting lies?

“The Truth About Liars”

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There is a show that ran last month in Canada (maybe you Canadian readers saw it)? It’s called “The Truth About Liars”, and was on the CBC. It featured both Dr. Paul Ekman and Dr. Maureen O’Sullivan. The website lists the show as a full-length video, but when you click on it, it says it is unavailable. I suspect this is because I am a U.S. viewer. However, the preview is available, and I thought you would enjoy it.

The beginning voice-over is Dr. Maureen O’Sullivan. You then get to see her. She hasn’t been in many videos, but here she is! Interestingly enough, as the video closes, the voice-over is Dr. Paul Ekman. Enjoy!

It appears that the CBC took down this video today after I posted this. Perhaps they don’t want the U.S. audience to see it? Sorry for this. Here is a link about the show (where you will find the video links to the show and preview), and here is another link to a segment of the show with Dr. O’Sullivan talking about expert lie detectors (I suspect “wizards”). Does this play for you?

Rod Blagojevich

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Clip of Rod Blagojevich talking to Barbara Walters on The View
January 26, 2009

Read more I just decided to spend a few moments this morning to watch Rod Blagojevich, as several of you have requested my opinion, and all I can say after watching the first clip of him talking to Barbara Walters, on “The View”, is that he is one slippery man!!

It’s incredible.

Walters asks him some very direct questions, and he refuses to say anything. I sat there and said, well, if he claims to be being treated unfairly, well then, speak the truth, but he doesn’t want to do that, either. This is behavior that does not support honesty.

Blagojevich is as evasive as one could get. He won’t confirm or deny he even said some basic words. That’s absolutely hilarious, actually.

Why would he do that, you ask?

Well, its another avenue he can use later to refute anything. He can deny he ever said such words, that it isn’t even him talking, etc. You see, at this point, he doesn’t know what the wire tap tapes about him contain. I suspect he has no idea how conclusive they are, and so until he knows the whole enchilada against him, he doesn’t want to say anything that he can’t later refute. That’s slippery! He wants to claim all these things, but he won’t stand on anything. It’s absurd.

Blagojevich seems to find himself very important and has a grandiose sense of self, he doesn’t seem to show a lot of emotions when he talks, he wants us to believe the world is out to get him, and that the rules the rest of the politicians abide by aren’t fair to him. Add to that his evasive language, and the picture it paints, to me, isn’t far off from what Cynthia McFadden has said others have called him in this interview.

Cynthia McFadden did a great interview, by the way. She really corners him good! She says, “This kind of talk would be okay so long as you didn’t act on it. Is that what you are saying?”

Blagojevich says, “I think if you explore ideas and discuss things, and you are willing to think outside the box, and you test a variety of things, and you know you’ll end up doing only the right thing, once you sort it all out, and that there is a process unfolding, that that is part of what it takes to be a leader and make the right decisions….”

It’s total nonsense. I think that speaks for itself, personally.

Do I trust Blagojevich? No, I don’t. He hasn’t done one thing to support his honesty. Not one thing. Instead, he hopes he can convince people by being firm, aggressive and in-your-face about absolutely nothing, but proclaims his innocence. I suspect that this behavior has carried Blago a long time, but that isn’t working anymore.

Blagojevich has had mannerisms from day one that have always had me on alert, and made me very cautious about him. I am not surprised at all to see him where he is at right now. I was surprised this didn’t happen sooner, actually.

Patrick Swayze

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Did you see the moving interview that Patrick Swayze did with Barbara Walters this week? It was painful to watch, and inspiring all at the same time. Swayze is facing his cancer demons head on, yet not willing to give in and relent to them. He is waging a war against a very lethal disease until, he says, he feels the battle is no longer worth fighting.

What I found so powerful in this interview with him and his wife were their emotions, body language and facial expressions. Each movement Swayze and his wife make sends a message. Each movement, each expression, because their emotions are so intense, tells you what is coming before the words are spoken. You see their thoughts on their face before they say a thing. You see and feel a deep anger, and fear. You see and feel courage, happiness, and love. You also see a tension in Swayze that is undeniable. It’s gut-wrenching because it is so real and so raw.

This is one interview where you can really work at understanding two true and honest souls. In this video, they are an excellent pair to study the intricacies of human behavior. Facing mortality, both of these people are trying to accept what is, and do the best they can in an admittedly horrible situation. They go from hope and expectations to accepting the reality of what the future will bring. They wince at the thoughts as they come to mind. Who wouldn’t in a time like this? It’s a balance I don’t think anyone can fully understand and appreciate until they themselves stand on that pronounced yet teetering ground of life versus death — yet through their emotions and expressions, they give us a window into their world and an inkling of what it must be like.

I wish Patrick Swayze and his family peace in this difficult time, the strength and courage to move forward. I want to thank him, too, for standing up and saying what is on his mind, and sharing with everyone his true and honest thoughts. It takes guts and a stable emotional state to level in a time of your life when you are dying.