It’s no secret that body language has captured the imagination of social media users and influencers alike. Scroll through any social platform, and you’ll find self-proclaimed experts telling you how to “spot a liar” by noticing a scratched nose, averted gaze, or crossed arms. The message? If you can catch these signs, you’ve caught a lie.
But here’s the problem: the science doesn’t back that up.
The latest release of the BBC Focus Magazine an article, The Truth About Body Language, unpacks this growing trend and confronts many of the misleading claims made online. And, as those of you who know our work will realise, this is a conversation we’ve been having for years, long before YouTube and TikTok made deception detection a trend.
So, let’s break this down. What does the research actually say? And how does this align (or not) with what we do here at EmotionIntell and through our SCAnS model?
No, Body Language Alone Won’t Catch a Liar
First, the good news: the article confirms something we’ve always championed; there is no universal “tell” that exposes a liar. Professor Leanne ten Brinke puts it succinctly: “There’s no ‘Pinocchio’s nose’.“
Despite what influencers may say, behaviours like avoiding eye contact or scratching your head are not reliable indicators of deception. People fidget for all sorts of reasons: nerves, distraction, cultural norms. The real world, as we know, is messy.
This is a key principle behind SCAnS (Six Channel Analysis). You cannot and should not rely on one gesture or facial expression to make any judgment about truthfulness. Instead, you need a systematic, multi-channel approach that takes into account the whole person: their voice, verbal content, interactional style, facial expressions, body language, and even psychophysiological responses.
So, Can We Detect Lies at All? Yes — But It’s Complicated
What the article does acknowledge, and what SCAnS has always embraced, is that there are clues—if you know how to spot them. These are often subtle and come in clusters of inconsistent behaviours. Geoff Beattie’s research on mismatches between speech and gesture is a great example.
At EmotionIntell, we refer to these as PIns (Points of Interest), incongruences between what a person says and what the other channels are communicating. Spotting a single PIN tells you nothing in isolation. But noticing a cluster across multiple channels? Now we’re getting somewhere.
This is why our training focuses on a deep, structured understanding of human behaviour because these cues are hard to spot, easy to misread, and always require context.
Context is King — and So Is Caution
One of the most important insights from the article and one we’ve been teaching for years, is that context shapes everything. Body language doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Culture, situation, personality, and stress levels all play a role. What looks like deception in one culture could be a sign of respect in another. What looks like evasiveness might just be someone managing anxiety.
At EmotionIntell, context is baked into our SCAnS model, and we train people to understand not just what they’re seeing and hearing, but why it might be happening. As we say time and again, you can’t just analyse behaviour; you have to analyse the situation and the person within it.
Why We Go Beyond Lie Detection — The Emotional Intelligence Edge
Where we diverge from the article’s focus is that we don’t just care about spotting lies. Our approach uses behavioural analysis to build trust, enhance communication, and support leadership. It’s about human connection, not just catching people out.
And here’s the real kicker: people who are emotionally intelligent—who can self-manage, empathise, influence others effectively, and build trust, are less likely to need to rely on body language myths in the first place. They are better communicators, better leaders, and better investigators because they understand people, not just gestures.
The Danger of Misusing Body Language in Justice and Business
A worrying note from the article is the misuse of body language in legal contexts, where judges and juries sometimes base decisions on how “credible” someone looks or behaves. This is dangerous and deeply flawed.
Here at EmotionIntell, we’ve worked with police, military, and business leaders to stop these myths from creeping into high-stakes environments. We know that false positives (wrongly thinking someone is lying) can destroy lives and that false negatives (missing a real deception) can cost them. This is why our SCAnS and PEEVR models are designed for ethical, evidence-based analysis and why our training emphasises caution and context.
Final Thoughts: What We Can Learn from the Science
So, what’s the final takeaway?
- Stop looking for magic bullets. There’s no one “tell” that reveals a lie.
- Ditch the myths. Scratching noses and averted eyes are NOT universal signs of lying.
- Learn to analyse behaviour properly—which means multiple channels, in context, and never solely relying on first impressions.
- Focus on Emotional Intelligence—because the better you are at understanding people, the less likely you are to be fooled by what they show on the surface.
- And above all, stay ethical. Behaviour analysis isn’t a tool for manipulation or snap judgments. It’s about understanding—with care, caution, and respect for the truth.
If you want to learn more about SCAnS, the e-Factor, or our coaching and training in Emotional Intelligence, get in touch. Let’s leave the myths behind and start working with what actually works.
