A new eye-reading lie detector may one day replace the polygraph test

Jul 12, 2010 09:42 GMT  ·  By

They say that the eyes are a mirror for the soul and an evasive look often hides the truth. Scientists from the University of Utah, found a way of detecting lies through eye-scanning, in an attempt of one day replacing the much too expensive polygraph test.

This eye-reading technique was invented by educational psychologists John Kircher, Doug Hacker, Anne Cook, Dan Woltz and David Raskin and is under Credibility Assessment Technologies (CAT) license. It measures a person's cognitive reaction and not emotions caused by lying, like the polygraph does.

The routine is quite simple. First the subject answers a few yes-or-no questions and a computer records certain measurements. It establishes when the truth is being told or not, based on response time, pupil dilatation, reading and re-reading time and also errors. Tests have shown that telling lies requires more effort than simply being honest, so the computer looks for any kind of evidence that the person is working harder than usually. If the subject is trying to deceive, answering takes longer and dilated pupils are more likely. As these kinds of observations are made thanks to very precise measurements, the technology was the most important factor for the test's success.

Detecting lies is a matter of national security. In certain intelligence agencies, this is a compulsory evaluation for new applicants for sensitive positions. It is also much easier to put in place and a lot cheaper than a polygraph test. The test requires absolutely no attachment to the subject and it takes substantially less time for examination. Furthermore, it can also be used in any language and a technician is enough to run it.

This eye-reading lie-detection technique is not only a very big technological advancement, it is also what allowed the University of Utah to maintain its leadership in lie-detection research. Its researchers have been the best in this field for the last 30 years and still they admit being only at the beginning of testing this new method. They hope that this recent licensing by CAT, will help gather more funding and potential clients.