This research investigates how deceptive individuals differ from truth-tellers in the frequency of behavioural inconsistencies, referred to as Points of Interest (PINs), using the SCAnS (Six-Channel Analysis System) framework. Conducted within an unscripted, low-stakes, social environment, the study used a simplified version of the social deduction game ‘Werewolf’.
Participants, ages 27-47, assumed alternating roles of liar and truth-tellers across multiple rounds, with their behaviour coded across SCAnS® six communication channels: face, body, voice, verbal content, interactional style and psychophysiology.
The central question driving this research is whether deceptive players exhibit a higher frequency of behavioural inconsistencies than their truthful counterparts.
Findings aim to inform practical application of multi-channel behavioural analysis in identifying deception within dynamic, real-world interactions.
Crucially, PINs are not direct indicators of deception; rather, they serve as a behavioural analyst’s initial filter – flagging moments of behavioural deviation that warrant further attention and examination.
As such, this study also considers whether the presence and frequency of PINs can function as a reliable first step in distinguishing deceptive individuals from the rest of the crowd.
