Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026

An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime
Published on: May 3, 2016
From flawed self-assessment to blatant whoppers: the utility of voluntary and involuntary behavior in detecting
Paul Ekman1, Maureen O'Sullivan
1University of California, San Francisco, USA.
Abstract:
Malingering occupies a range on a continuum from biased self-perception to conscious, deliberate, serious lies. One aspect of this continuum is the element of self-conscious or deliberate control. Suggestions from Darwin's writings concerning the role of voluntary and involuntary activation of the facial muscles are examined and illustrated with data from a 40 year program of research on deception. The impact of the voluntary-involuntary distinction on the appearance, timing, symmetry and cohesion of facial expressions of emotion is explained. Data relevant to changes in vocal and gestural aspects of demeanor in honest and deceptive behavior are also reviewed. The relevance of these laboratory-based findings on the voluntary control of nonverbal behavior in assessing some types of malingering is discussed.
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Understanding Deception
Strategies of Self-Presentation II: Self-Verification
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Introspection
Strategies of Self-Presentation III: Self-Monitoring
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping

