Science or pseudoscience? A distinction that matters for police officers, lawyers and judges

Four Misconceptions About Nonverbal Communication

Research and theory in nonverbal communication have made great advances toward understanding the patterns and functions of nonverbal behavior in social settings. Progress has been hindered, we argue, by presumptions about nonverbal behavior that follow from both received wisdom and faulty evidence. In this article, we document four persistent misconceptions about nonverbal communication-namely, that people communicate using decodable body language; that they have a stable personal space by which they regulate contact with others; that they express emotion using universal, evolved, iconic, categorical facial expressions; and that they can deceive and detect deception, using dependable telltale clues. We show how these misconceptions permeate research as well as the practices of popular behavior experts, with consequences that extend from intimate relationships to the boardroom and courtroom and even to the arena of international security. Notwithstanding these misconceptions, existing frameworks of nonverbal communication are being challenged by more comprehensive systems approaches and by virtual technologies that ambiguate the roles and identities of interactants and the contexts of interaction.

Darwin's illegitimate children: How body language experts undermine Darwin's legacy

The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals has received and continues to receive much attention from emotion researchers and behavioural scientists. However, the common misconception that Darwin advocated for the universality of emotional reactions has led to a host of unfounded and discredited claims promoted by 'body language experts' on both traditional and social media. These 'experts' receive unparalleled public attention. Thus, rather than being presented with empirically supported findings on non-verbal behaviour, the public is exposed to 'body language analysis' of celebrities, politicians and defendants in criminal trials. In this perspective piece, we address the misinformation surrounding non-verbal behaviour. We also discuss the nature and scope of statements from body language experts, unpacking the claims of the most viewed YouTube video by a body language expert, comparing these claims with actual research findings, and giving specific attention to the implications for the justice system. We explain how body language experts use (and misuse) Darwin's legacy and conclude with a call for researchers to unite their voices and work towards stopping the spread of misinformation about non-verbal behaviour.

Notwendigkeit einer kritischen Prüfung von Methoden zur Lügenerkennung und Vernehmungstaktiken zur Informationsgewinnung von Beschuldigten: ein Positionspapier aus Psychologie und Polizei

Polizeiliche Entscheidungsträger*innen und Ermittelnde in Deutschland erhalten regelmäßig Aus- und Fortbildungsangebote zu Methoden der Lügenerkennung und zu Vernehmungstaktiken für Beschuldigte, die teilweise unseriös sind. Keinesfalls sollten ineffektive oder ungeprüfte Methoden und Taktiken durch die Polizei angewandt werden, da sie gravierende Folgen für unschuldige Personen (z. B. Freiheitsentzug, soziale Schäden) und die Bevölkerung (z. B. weitere Straftaten durch die eigentlichen Täter*innen, sinkendes Vertrauen in die polizeiliche Ermittlungstätigkeiten) nach sich ziehen können. Besonders problematisch sind pseudowissenschaftliche Angebote, die nicht systematisch geprüfte oder nachweislich ineffektive Inhalte vermitteln, jedoch wissenschaftlich begründet scheinen (z. B. aufgrund des Titels oder der Berufsbeschreibung der anbietenden Personen). Dieses Positionspapier will diese Problematik beleuchten und Personen aus der polizeilichen Lehre und Praxis dazu anregen, Angebote kritisch zu prüfen und schwerpunktmäßig theoretisch fundierte und nachgewiesenermaßen effektive Methoden zum Einschätzen von Falschaussagen (z. B. anhand von Widersprüchen) und Konzepten zur Vernehmung Beschuldigter anzuwenden.

Evidence of the psychological effects of pseudoscientific information about COVID-19 on rural and urban populations

This research aims to analyze the effects of pseudoscientific information (PI) about COVID-19 on the mental well-being of the general population. A total of 782 participants were classified according to the type of municipality in which they lived (rural municipalities and urban municipalities). The participants answered psychometric questionnaires that assessed psychological well-being, pseudoscientific beliefs and the ability to discriminate between scientific and pseudoscientific information about COVID-19. The results indicated the following: the greater the ability to discriminate between false information and true information, the greater the levels of psychological well-being perceived by the participant. The ability to discriminate predicts up to 32% of psychological well-being only for subjects living in rural municipalities. Residents in urban municipalities showed lower levels of well-being than residents in rural municipalities. It is concluded that new social resources are needed to help the general population of urban municipalities discriminate between pseudoscientific and scientific information.