Pathological Liar Test

The mind, if it is channelized in the wrong direction, can spell doom for that person and for others as well. Moreover, you can lie to people convincingly, but how can you deceive your own self? Just as Eric Hoffer has said, "We lie loudest when we lie to ourselves", lying is one thing which turns me off every bit. But there are some who do not mind lying and they lie pretty convincingly. That too, with an absolute elan and others are totally persuaded and made to believe the 'true lies'. There are people who are compulsive liars and there are a few tests which are specifically designed to confirm that a person is lying. Pathological liar test is one of those.

Lie Detecting Tests

The main purpose of the broad category of lie detector tests is to confirm if the person is speaking the truth or not. The polygraph is the most common type of a lie detector test. It records and measures varied physiological responses of the person being tested. These responses could be anything - from changes in blood pressure to increased or decreased pulse rate, perspiration and so on. Questions provoking considerable changes in subject's sympathetic nervous system are emphasized. This what basically the lie detector test does.

In case of pathological liars, sometimes, the tests may not prove to be conclusive. That is because, if the person is an expert in falsifying incidents and fabricating tales, there would not be any alterations in his or her physiological responses. That time, you have to trust your gut feeling and look out for some signs, which will help in deciding whether that person is lying or not.

Signs of a Pathological Liar

Don't Know Answers? Ask Questions
Those who are involved in pathological lying, or have a tendency to be one, are very defensive, which is natural reaction. That is especially when they are asked doubts and queries they are not expecting. Again, the reason behind this is simple, to manipulate others into believing their lies. If that person realizes that you are not believing him or her, that person may become really agitated and be totally on the defensive.

What is Cooking
Pathological liars, according to expert psychologists, many times contradict themselves. They are inconsistent too, about whatever they say. The subject of the inconsistency can be anything - from their work to family. Such people cannot properly differentiate between the reality and the truth and they seem to live in a fantasy land. This is one of the basic symptoms. Some day it is going to be discovered that they are lying.

Details Galore
Another test, or rather sign is that the person concerned will pretend and talk as if he or she knows better about you than you know. Apparently they know more about you, than you know about them. In case it so happens that anything said by person is doubtful and you cannot vouch for that, the person might be lying.

Nervy Times - Body Lingo
Well, the person even though he or she thinks is very smart and the lie cannot be unveiled, forget that their body language is a definite giveaway. These liars need to be in total emotional control to keep nerves at bay, which is not always an easy task. Now this can very easily translate into signs of discomfort, being restless and inability to sit still, a small part of body language which hints at lying.

Pardon Me
This is yet another significant way. In this case, when you ask such a person something related to what he or she said, the person tells you to repeat the question. This gives that person time to cook up or devise a lie in anticipation and hope that you would believe him or her. If you observe this happening frequently, be careful.

If you are thinking of how to treat a pathological liar, the treatment involves several aspects. It includes probing the patient for getting any indications of a personality disorder and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

At the end of the day, if you choose not to deal with such a person, that is an individual decision. If that is someone very close to you, may be realizing that the person is going through a psychological problem would help. That is, if you do not want to lose contact with that person. Take care!