How to tell a Traitor from a Faithful
Celebrity Traitors is now underway, with the iconic BBC One series welcoming a whole new cast of glittering stars.
The Traitors has become one of the most popular TV shows around, with fans of all ages, but how would you get on in the Traitors' castle? Well, check out our quiz - to see if you'd fare better as a Traitor or a Faithful - and read on to learn a little more about why people lie and how you can spot it!
Let the games begin!
Take the quiz: Are you a Traitor or a Faithful?
How can you tell if someone's lying?
There's quite a few theories bandied about on how you can spot if someone's lying - but how many of them are true?
Well, here at BBC Bitesize, we took a look at some research into the detection of lying to break down what's true, what's false, and how it can help you in day-to-day life.
1. What are they usually like?
Taking note of what someone is normally like is an important first step in deception detection.
There are lots of theories on how you can spot a lie, but it's important to consider those in the context of someone's normal behaviour.
For example, if someone is normally quite nervous or fidgety when speaking, then this behaviour wouldn't indicate that they're lying.
It's also important to consider their actions in a wider context. Something may seem like a tall-tale tell-tale, but could actually have a perfectly valid explanation. Someone could be having a bad day or just feel a little more restless than usual - so if you're trying to spot a liar, be sure to consider the context of the conversation.
2. Eyes most certainly do lie
"The eyes never lie" is a fairly common received wisdom when it comes to deception detection, but is it actually true?
Well, to be blunt, no it isn't - at least not according to most research. A recent study from the University of Gothenburg examined research from 50 experts over a period of five years on whether it's possible to detect a liar.
During this study, they took a glance at the popular claim that liars will often avert their gaze when being questioned. The study showed that 82% of experts agreed that liars were no more likely to shift their gaze than a person telling the truth.
Similarly, many found that behaviours like fidgeting, nervousness and response time were not clear indicators that a person was lying either.
3. Keep a careful ear
While the eyes might lie (and the hips are TBD), there are still some signs worth looking out for - or, more accurately, listening out for.
Around 72% of experts in the Gothenburg study agreed that liars provide fewer details than truth tellers, and the verbal cues didn't end there.
Probably the easiest way to tell a fact from a fib is through 'statement-evidence' inconsistency. This is when the words a person says don't line up with the available evidence. For example, if you have a video of someone stealing some sweets, and they still claim not to have done it, this is a pretty obvious sign that they're lying.
Another possible verbal sign of lying is when a person's tale is full of 'complicators'. A 'complicator' is an unnecessary detail added to a story that makes it more confusing to follow.
So, all in all, lying is a pretty difficult thing to spot - most of the time, anyway. But perhaps more importantly, why would anyone lie in the first place…?
Why do people lie?
There are an awful lot of reasons someone might tell a lie, and while honesty is usually the best policy, it’s difficult to argue that all lies are created equal.
For example, telling a friend their new haircut looks great, even if you don't actually like it is a more understandable reason to lie because you are trying to protect their feelings. This kind of lie is sometimes referred to as a 'white lie'.
On the flip side, someone lying about committing a crime to try and escape punishment would be a lot more serious. If you are a witness to a crime, and choose to lie in court while under oath (that's when you have made a formal, legally binding promise to tell the truth) then you have committed perjury, which is a serious offence that can result in a prison sentence.
The Traitors is a perfect example of when being dishonest is acceptable, as a game show a little lying is required to win, but because it's a fun, controlled environment and the lie is part of the game, unlikely to affect things in the real world.
Similar to a family game of Werewolf or Among Us, this is a situation in which lying is expected - it's part of the rules of the game and so doesn't carry the same weight as lying in your day-to-day life, where dishonesty could hurt or impact people or situations around you.