The Physiology of Lying

Abstract

Lying is a complex phenomenon shared by practically all humans, seen among all cultures, and in almost all age groups. As with all behaviors, lying originates in the brain and is mainly controlled by the prefrontal cortex. Outside of the prefrontal cortex, physiological manifestations have been monitored. For example, they include the common signs of lying for example increased heart rate and sweating, to more covert changes such as blood flow, neurotransmitter release, neural activity, and alterations in brain structure. Even though research on these various manifestations of lying has provided some evidence, there is no concrete linkage between each of these responses. Since lying provides many common symptoms, there is also a desire to detect it, as seen by polygraph testing extensively used between the late 1930s to 1988. However, if technology were to advance to the stage of measuring brain activity or neurotransmitter release and determining with high accuracy if a person was lying or not, it would lead to substantial ethical issues, mainly for patients or personal privacy. Overall, this literature review compiles and analyzes the extensive research on the aforementioned physiological responses to lying, facilitating future research not only in the physiological but also psychological aspects. Furthermore, it also explores the implications of lie-detecting technology for society by looking at the safety and security risks it can bring. Thus, this literature review advances the science behind lying and underscores the necessity to understand the ethical undertones of research in this field.