Language and Deception

Using natural language processing to find the subtle linguistic features that betray a lie, from individual monologue to live conversation.

Even amongst the most talented of deceivers, their ability to conceal verbal lies can be compromised by subtle linguistic features that have been shown to reveal hidden cognitive states. These features include the literal meaning of the words used, as well on how words are arranged and structured in discourse. For this project, we take advantage of advances in technology and linguistic theory to analyze hundreds of features of language using natural language processing tools, ranging from word information variables to sentence and discourse level variables. Thus, language serves as a window into cognition, addressing a diverse set of interrelated questions, including a) What are the qualitative and quantitative linguistic features of deception, b) How does the relationship between language and cognition vary from individual monologue to conversational deception?, and c) Are there consistent patterns of language that cut across context?

Selected papers

  • Duran, N. D., Hall, C., McCarthy, P. M., & McNamara, D. S. (2010). The linguistic correlates of conversational deception: Comparing natural language processing technologies. Applied Psycholinguistics, 31, 439–462. [PDF]
  • Skalicky, S., Duran, N. D., & Crossley, S. A. (2020). Please, please, just tell me: The linguistic features of humorous deception. Dialogue & Discourse, 11, 108–135. [PDF]
  • Heidari, A., D’Arienzo, M., Crossley, S. A., & Duran, N. D. (2017). Computational analysis of lexical and cohesion differences in deceptive language: The role of accordance. Proceedings of the 30th International FLAIRS Conference. [PDF]
  • McCarthy, P. M., Duran, N. D., & Booker, L. M. (2012). The devil is in the details: New directions in deception analysis. Proceedings of the 25th International FLAIRS Conference. [PDF]
  • Duran, N. D., Crossley, S., Hall, C., McCarthy, P., & McNamara, D. (2009). Expanding a catalogue of deceptive linguistic features with NLP technologies. Proceedings of the 22nd International FLAIRS Conference. [PDF]

See the full list on the publications page.