Page 65 - Deception at work all chapters EBook
P. 65
106 Deception at Work
Symptoms of deception Examples Significance
CONSCIOUS, unconscious 10 = High
or both 0 = Low
Inconsistent coverage of topics In freestyle stories or responses to open questions, 7
Sequence violations in an the liar prevaricates and delays in reaching the
explanation or story critical issue and thus extends the prologue. In
various topics in a story, the subject allocates a
disproportionate amount of his explanation to one
over another. Often the most important topic is
dealt with superficially (indicating omission) or a less
important topic given excessive coverage (indicating
that there is some hidden reason why the subject
believes this is important). In some cases, topics are
dealt with out of sequence (indicating omission)
Omission DELIBERATE OMISSION OF INCRIMINATING 10
Limited answers INFORMATION
Containment ‘I am not going to answer unless my lawyer is present …’
‘I don’t have to answer that …’
‘I can’t answer that …’
‘I can tell you this …’ [probably meaning there are other
things he cannot or does not wish to tell you]
‘There’s not much I can say …’
‘Oh yes, and then I murdered the chairman …’
‘I am not going to dignify that question with a reply’
‘That’s a stupid question’
‘Company policy prohibits me from answering that
question’
‘I cannot answer that question until I have spoken to my
manager’
‘That’s about all I know …’
‘That’s all I can tell you …’
Such phrases usually mean that there is other
information the liar is not prepared to reveal
RELUCTANCE TO PROVIDE Inconsistent recollection of detail. Typically the 10
DETAIL liar will have a good and detailed recollection of
non-controversial matters within the time frame
concerned. Only when questions focus on critical
areas will his recollection become vague.
The liar is drawing the content of this explanation
from imagination. He knows the more detail
he provides, the greater the chance he will give
contradictory answers. Thus avoiding detail seems
the safe course
FAILURE TO VOLUNTEER Failing to volunteer information to open or blocking 7
questions or to admit facts which are known
COMPRESSION Instead of giving detail such as ‘I went to Sainsbury’s 5
and bought an egg, then to Tesco and got some bacon,
then to Homebase and bought a ladder,’ the subject
says ‘I went shopping’
