A new study has revealed that bosses in London are more likely to have the wool pulled over their eyes than any other city, as almost one in six (14%) Londoners admit they lie to their boss; a figure more than anywhere else in the UK.
The research by contact lens retailer Lenstore surveyed 2,000 UK adults to determine how often Brits lie, and what the nation most frequently lies about. They also spoke to Counselling Psychologist, Dr Georgina Barnett about how different eye movements and body language can indicate if someone is being truthful or telling a lie.
The research reveals that Londoners view themselves as more honest than the rest of the country, with 19% claiming to never lie (versus a national average of 16%). However, the same study shows that they are more likely than the rest of the UK to tell particularly naughty lies. Compared to 7% nationally, more than one in ten (11%) Londoners have faked a family emergency to get out of another commitment. One in twenty Londoners (5%) have lied about attending a funeral compared to 3.6% across the UK, and 3.3% of those in the capital have lied about a family member dying compared to 2.7% nationally.
Lenstore discovered that Brits tell an average of three lies every week, lying roughly 150 times each year. Men tell lies more frequently than women, with almost a quarter of men (24%) fibbing once a day compared to just over one in six women (16%).
Top ten most common lies that the most Brits have told (at least once):
Saying you’re busy to avoid doing something / seeing someone (38% have done this)
Saying you’ve not seen messages / emails when you actually have (30%)
Saying you’re OK / well when you aren’t (27%)
Saying you’re sick when you’re not (24%)
Saying you like a gift you don’t actually like (23%)
Saying you’re happy when you aren’t (19%)
Saying that something cost more / less than it actually did (15%)
Saying that your Wi-Fi battery died when it hadn’t (15%)
Saying that you liked a meal someone made when you didn’t (15%)
Saying you like someone’s outfit when you don’t’ (14.5%)
With lies both big and small so prevalent in Brits’ professional and personal relationships, Dr Georgina Barnett, Counselling Psychologist at Psychology and Lifestyle, has provided tips on how you can determine whether a person is being dishonest by their eye movements and other body language cues:
“Many people believe that if someone is looking them straight in the eye that this is an indication of a truthful exchange, but actually practiced and habitual liars tend do use eye contact to fool you – they engage in greater eye contact than the average person to do this. Often, they hardly blink as they try to hold your gaze.
“Facial expressions and eye contact that is held for too long is usually contrived and can indicate dishonesty. It is a strategy on the part of the liar to manipulate you into thinking they are being honest as they are displaying behaviours we associate with truth.
“Holding a gaze, but with a ‘poker face’ and lack of eye movement is another version of this sustained expression which indicates lying. The liar is usually desperate to control their features, and it is the micro expressions such as a slight sneer, wrinkled nose or closed lips, which can indicate deception in these situations as they are beyond our conscious control.
“People squint when they are uncomfortable, rub their foreheads and necks, their eyelids may flutter significantly, and a further sign is the eye block – covering their eyes for a second or closing them which is something we all do in moments of stress to block the experience for a moment. You may also see increased perspiration and flushing in the face.
“Less confident or nervous liars will often manifest the more common behaviours we associate with liars. People’s eyes may dart around the room or to the left or right for a few seconds to give themselves a few seconds of reprieve from the guilt they are experiencing by looking into the other persons eyes. They may also avoid eye contact as far as possible because of the emotion and discomfort being triggered.
“If someone is telling the truth, their eye contact and expression will align with other gestures such as nodding or shaking the head rather than being out of sync. The eyes will widen and be expressive as people who are telling the truth tend to be animated and earnest which will show through dilated pupils, open eyes and sometimes raised eyebrows.”
Five ways to spot if someone is lying from their eyes:
They hold eye contact for too long.
They squint.
They cover or block their eyes for a few seconds.
Their eyes dart around.
They avoid eye contact all together.
Commenting on the study, Lenstore Business Director Alex Matthews said: “Our research suggests Brits are frequently telling little white lies – lying three times a week on average – most frequently at work, but also to partners and other close relationships.
“Some of the lies we tell are innocuous, like pretending to like a gift to be polite. But one in 12 Brits have lied to their partner about being unfaithful, and more have included lies on their CV, so it’s important to know the tell-tale signs someone is being dishonest.
“Luckily, there are signals you can pick up from a person’s eyes or other facial cues to help determine if they’re being truthful or not.”
