INTERPERSONAL DECEPTION

THEORY

B Y D AV I D B U L L E R A N D J U D E E B U R G O O N

KEY NAMES AND TERMS

• David Buller

• Judee Burgoon

• Deception

• Truth Bias

• Implied Social Contract

• Interactivity

• Relational Familiarity

• Relational Valence

• Falsification

• Concealment

• Equivocation

• Self references

• Group references

SPOT THE LIARS:

ARE YOU READY TO TAKE THE CHALLENGE?

DECEPTION

An intentional act in which senders knowingly

transmit messages to foster a false belief or

interpretation by the receiver.

WHY DID THE PEOPLE DOUBT THE TRUTHFULNESS OF NICOLE’S STATEMENTS?What were their bases for concluding that Nicole was deceiving the court?

THE MOUTH

COVER

THE ITCHY

NOSE

THE NOSE

TOUCH

THE EYE RUB THE EAR GRAB

Some men rub their eyes vigorously;

others do look away.

THE NECK

SCRATCH

THE COLLAR

PULL

A person scratches an average of 5 times

FINGERS-IN-THE-MOUTH

DAVID BULLER

AND JUDEE

BURGOON

Conducted over two-dozen

experiments in which they

asked participants to

deceive another person.

Human beings are rather

poor lie detectors.

W H Y D O P E O P L E L I E ?

PEOPLE OFTEN FIND THEMSELVES IN SITUATIONS WHERE THEY MAKE STATEMENTS THAT ARE LESS THAN COMPLETELY HONEST IN ORDER:

•To avoid hurting or offending another person

• To emphasize their best qualities

• To avoid getting into a conflict

• To speed up or slow down a relationship

2 CORE IDEAS ON IDT

1. Interpersonal communication is interactive.

2. Strategic deception demands mental effort.

ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS = deceiver and receiver

INTERACTIVITY AFFECTS ABILITY TO DISTINGUISH TRUTH.

A successful deceiver must consciously manipulate information to create a plausible

message, present it in a sincere manner, monitor reactions, prepare follow-up responses, and

get ready for damage control of a tarnished image-all at the same time.

SAMPLE SCENARIO:

Dating for nearly 3 years

Feel quite close with each other

“long-distance relationship”

S/he’s quite jealous and possessive.

You see each other only occasionally.

Call each other every Sunday

Talk for over an hour

“couples only” party on a Saturday night

S/he couldn’t make it that weekend.

Ask someone from your comm class

You had a great time at the party.

"I decided to come

down and surprise you.

1 tried calling you all

last night, but you

weren't around.

What were you doing?"

3 TYPES OF DECEPTIONI N T E R P E R S O N A L D E C E P T I O N T H E O RY

FALSIFICATION

“What were you doing?"

“ I was at the library getting ready

for my comm theory exam."

CONCEALMENT

“What were you doing?"

"1 went to a party at a friend's apartment."

EQUIVOCATION

“What were you doing?"

"1 went out for a while."

4 CHARACTERISTICS OF MESSAGE THAT REFLECT STRATEGIC INTENT:

•Uncertainty and vagueness

•Nonimmediacy, reticence, and withdrawal

•Disassociation

• Image- and relationship-protecting behavior

Uncertainty and vagueness

There is nothing concrete for

the receiver to challenge.

USE OF PASSIVE

VOICE:

"It was impossible to

get things done before

then.”

Nonimmediacy, reticence, and withdrawal

You want to remove yourself from the situation.

YOU MAY:

Turn away.

Sit farther from the receiver.

Or say: “It’s already finished.”

Disassociation

You want to DISTANCE yourself

from what is done.

You may shift the responsibility to

others.

“We all went out to the party that

night.”

“Everybody could party once in a

while.”

Image- and relationship-protecting behavior

You suppress any cue

of deception

(“leakage”).

"It appears that smiling may be

a simple, all-purpose strategy enacted to

cover up deceit.”

THANK YOU