9 Scientific Ways To Tell When Someone Is Lying

5. They'll Be Overly Negative

Another indicator that someone might be lying to you, is if they seem to be more annoyed about it than you are.

Liars tend to be more negative. It is thought that this is a result of their subconscious guilt "leaking" out. Liars rarely feel good about having to lie and this negativity translates into their story.

It also has the added effect ofmaking it seem as though they're as upset about the situation as you are. For example, instead of saying "sorry I'm late, bad traffic", they might plump for a more colourful option such as "the f***ing buses are a f***ing nightmare, I hope they hang whoever came up with that traffic layout", they might be lying to you. Alternatively, they might need some anger management therapy.

Speaking of colourful language, it turns out that liars tend to swear more. It is thought that this is due to the cognitive energy that it takes to lie. As the brain is occupied by fabricating a porkie, people find that they are less able to monitor their behaviour and language in other ways.