Can You Spot a Lie? The Psychology of Body Language & Deception

Have you ever wondered if someone was telling the truth? Want to learn how body language can reveal hidden emotions? In this ongoing class, we’ll explore the psychology behind deception, microexpressions, and nonverbal cues to uncover what people might not be saying out loud!

Each week, we’ll dive into a new topic, including:
🔍 How to spot common lying behaviors in speech and movement
😏 The science of microexpressions—quick flashes of real emotion
🙌 What crossed arms, fidgeting, and eye contact really mean
🎭 How confidence, nervousness, and deception show up in body language
🧠 Why our brains lie—and how we can become better at detecting it

This class is interactive, discussion-based, and filled with real-world examples from psychology research, interviews, and famous case studies. Students will get to analyze videos, practice reading nonverbal cues, and even test their own skills in deception detection challenges!

Whether you’re interested in psychology, criminology, acting, or just improving your communication skills, this class will give you the tools to better understand people and their hidden messages.

Class Structure:
Weekly, 50-minute live discussion
Engaging slides, videos, and real-life examples
Interactive games & practice exercises
Open discussion with student input encouraged

Who Should Join?
This class is great for teens curious about psychology, communication, criminology, or anyone who wants to sharpen their ability to read people. No prior knowledge needed—just a curious mind!

👉 Join anytime! Since this is an ongoing class, you can drop in for a single session or stay as long as you'd like. Each week is a new topic, so there’s always something fresh to explore!

Here's our schedule:

🕵️ Week of September 8th: The Science of Lying – Why Do We Lie?
🔍 Key Concepts:
Why people lie (social, psychological, and survival reasons).
Different types of lies: white lies, exaggerations, and deception by omission.
How the brain reacts when lying vs. telling the truth.
🎮 Gamified Activities:
✅ Two Truths & a Lie Challenge – Students test their deception skills while classmates analyze their body language.
✅ Truth or Lie? – Analyze famous public statements to determine deception.

😏 Week of September 15th: Microexpressions – The Hidden Clues in Facial Expressions
🔍 Key Concepts:
What microexpressions are and how they reveal hidden emotions.
The seven universal facial expressions (happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, contempt, disgust).
How microexpressions are used in criminal investigations, poker, and social interactions.
🎮 Gamified Activities:
✅ Face the Truth – Watch short video clips to spot microexpressions.
✅ Reaction Speed Test – Quickfire guessing game on brief facial cues.

💬 Week of September 22nd: Body Language – What People Don’t Say Out Loud
🔍 Key Concepts:
How posture, gestures, and fidgeting reveal confidence or deception.
The difference between nervous habits vs. deceptive behavior.
Cultural differences in body language interpretation.
🎮 Gamified Activities:
✅ Detect the Fake – Watch a silent video of two people talking; students guess who might be lying based on body language.
✅ Charades with a Twist – Students express emotions and hidden intentions using only body language while others guess.

🗣️ Week of September 29th: The Art of Verbal Deception – Spotting Lies in Speech & Storytelling
🔍 Key Concepts:
How liars change speech patterns (hesitations, contradictions, excessive details).
Common deception tactics (deflection, vagueness, changing the subject).
How to ask strategic questions to spot lies.
🎮 Gamified Activities:
✅ Interrogation Game – Students take turns being "investigators" and try to spot inconsistencies in stories.
✅ Who’s the Secret Liar? – One student secretly lies about a fun fact, while others analyze speech patterns and ask follow-up questions.

🕵️‍♂️ Week of October 6th: How Detectives & the FBI Spot Lies
🔍 Key Concepts:
Real-world lie detection techniques used by police & the FBI.
The Reid Technique vs. cognitive interview methods.
How interrogators use psychological tactics to get confessions.
🎮 Gamified Activities:
✅ Interrogation Role-Play – One student plays a detective, the other a suspect. Can the detective spot the deception?
✅ Real vs. Fake Confessions – Students watch real police interrogation clips and vote: truth or lie?

💰 Week of October 13th: The Psychology of Con Artists & Scams
🔍 Key Concepts:
How famous con artists and scammers manipulate trust.
Psychological tricks used in scams (reciprocity, scarcity, social proof).
How to recognize deception in online scams & social media fraud.
🎮 Gamified Activities:
✅ The Con Artist Challenge – Students create their own (ethical) mini-scam idea (e.g., a fake product ad) and see if classmates spot the red flags.
✅ Scam Busters – Review real scam emails and websites to identify deception tactics.

🎭 Week of October 20th: Poker, Public Speaking, & Performance Lies
🔍 Key Concepts:
How poker players use deception to bluff.
How actors & public speakers use body language to enhance storytelling.
The difference between intentional and unintentional deception.
🎮 Gamified Activities:
✅ Poker Face Challenge – Students take turns bluffing in a game while others analyze their body language.
✅ Truthful vs. Deceptive Speeches – Students prepare two short statements—one truthful, one deceptive—and classmates must decide which is which.

🤖 Week of October 27th: AI, Lie Detection Technology & the Future of Deception
🔍 Key Concepts:
How AI and polygraphs work (and their limits).
Deepfakes & digital deception—can you believe what you see online?
How AI can analyze speech patterns and body language in real time.
🎮 Gamified Activities:
✅ AI Lie Detector Experiment – Students input text into an AI deception analysis tool (or manually analyze written statements).
✅ Deepfake Challenge – Review real vs. AI-generated videos and guess which ones are fake.