The Pinocchio Effect: Lying and Body Gestures (2024)

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We all know our old little friend Pinocchio's story about his nose which grows whenever he told lies. Even though it's purely fictional, there's a discovery about what happens to our noses when we lie, namely The Pinocchio Effect. According to Science Daily, whenever someone tells lies, the temperature around their nose and in the orbital muscle in the inner corner of their eye will increase. This finding was found with the help of a thermographer.

The Pinocchio Effect: Lying and Body Gestures (1)Thermographer/ Foto: Pexels

First developed in the USA during World War II to detect enemy (night vision), thermography is a technique based on body temperature that has been applied in many fields including the general industry, building industry, and medicine. Researchers conducting the matter have demonstrated that temperature asymmetries on both sides of the body and local temperature changes are associated with the subject's physical, mental, and emotional status. Moreover, a thermogram is a somatic marker of subjective or mental states, therefore allowing us to see what a person is feeling or thinking.

In other words, when we lie about our feelings, the temperature around our nose increases with one element in our brain namely insulaactivated. Insula is a component of the brain reward system and only activates when we experience real feelings, called qualia. The insula is involved in the detection and regulation of body temperature. The more active the insule (the greater the feeling), the lower the temperature change.

The Pinocchio Effect: Lying and Body Gestures (4)Ilustrasi kebohongan/ Foto:Unsplash

While it might be hard to detect a liar with this method, body gestures might help to tell whether people are lying or telling the truth. One of a few examples would be facial touching like covering their mouth or touching their nose. When we lie, our body releases chemicals namely catecholamines, which cause the tissues inside the nose to swell. The increased blood pressure makes the nose swell and causes the nerve endings inside the nose to tingle, thus making it itchy. Hence, if someone is lying, they will feel the urge to satisfy the itch by continuously stroking their nose. Research also found that liars feel a heightened tendency to scratch their ears or neck when they lie.

People who are lying also often fidget more than those who are giving straight answers. This is mainly caused by discomfort or nervousness, which may have been symptoms of someone being worried that they'll be caught out for being dishonest. The Harvard study, Evidence for thePinocchio Effect found that people who are lying tend to use a lot more words than people who are telling the truth, probably because they feel the need to convince the other person of what they're saying, rather than just tell them something.

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The Pinocchio Effect: Lying and Body Gestures (2024)

FAQs

The Pinocchio Effect: Lying and Body Gestures? ›

Pinocchio disorder," also known as "pseudologia fantastica" or "pathological lying," is a psychological condition characterized by compulsive lying. People with this disorder often fabricate elaborate and exaggerated stories that may be rooted in a desire for attention, validation, or to manipulate others.

What is the Pinocchio syndrome? ›

Pinocchio disorder," also known as "pseudologia fantastica" or "pathological lying," is a psychological condition characterized by compulsive lying. People with this disorder often fabricate elaborate and exaggerated stories that may be rooted in a desire for attention, validation, or to manipulate others.

What if Pinocchio says I'm lying? ›

If he is lying, then he is making a false statement, which implies that his nose does not grow now. If he is not lying, then his statement is either true or false, which implies that either his nose does grow now or his nose does not grow now. Therefore, either his nose does not grow now or his nose does grow now.

Is Pinocchio about lying? ›

For most Americans, Pinocchio is synonymous with the 1940 animated Disney movie about a wooden puppet whose pointy nose grows every time he tells a lie. But the original Italian story is not primarily about lying. Yes, Pinocchio tells lies, but that's just part of his general misbehavior; he's selfish and unreliable.

What is the Pinocchio effect words? ›

Support was found for the "Pinocchio effect": liars generally used more words than other participants, although truthful Allocators with suspicious partners did not significantly differ from liars on word count. Allocators with suspicious partners used more negative emotion words and profanity.

What is the Pinocchio effect in psychology? ›

When a person lies, they experience a "Pinocchio effect," which is an increase in the temperature around the nose and in the orbital muscle in the inner corner of the eye. In addition, when we perform a considerable mental effort our face temperature drops, and when we have an anxiety attack our face temperature rises.

What mental disorder does Pinocchio have? ›

This ar- ticle describes the Pinocchio Syndrome, which is based on the children's story writ- ten by Collodi (1880/1993) and represents a personality type that manifests characteris- tics of both narcissistic personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder.

What is the moral of the story of Pinocchio? ›

Like many Tuscan folk tales, Pinocchio has important moral lessons for children: e.g., disobedience does not pay, telling lies is seldom prudent, and boys who love and take care of their parents will be rewarded. Its pedagogical mission notwithstanding, the story remains a timeless classic.

Is there a dark side to Pinocchio? ›

Yes, the real story of Pinocchio is indeed very dark and is meant to serve as a lesson for kids who are naughty. Collodi originally planned to show that Pinocchio, as a result of his carelessness, loses his life to the sly and evil Cat and Fox who hang him and steal his gold.

How many times did Pinocchio lie? ›

Even in the second run of installments, however, the puppet's nose grows on only two occasions in response to his lying. What is more, the puppet tells at least three, and arguably four, other lies in the second part of the story without anything untoward happening to his nose.

What is the hidden meaning behind Pinocchio? ›

There is an obvious psychoanalytical angle here, which has indeed been explored by many critics as well as interpreters of Pinocchio's tale. Collodi's book has been described as a story about the clash between pleasure and repression, as well as about life and death, an epic tale of metamorphosis and rebirth.

What is inappropriate in Pinocchio? ›

Pinocchio (1940) has some violence. For example: One of Geppetto's cuckoo clocks shows a figurine of an angry mother smacking the bare bottom of a crying child. Stromboli, the manager of a puppet show, threatens to turn Pinocchio into firewood and locks him up in a cage.

Is there a dark story to Pinocchio? ›

Most shockingly of all, at one point Pinocchio is lynched from a tree by his recurring enemies, the Fox and the Cat. Collodi actually ended his original Pinocchio magazine series with the wooden boy being hanged, until popular demand for his revival prompted the writer to find a way out for our puppet protagonist.

Does touching the nose mean lying? ›

Nose scratching or rubbing the nose is a behavior that may be observed in individuals who are deceptive. Nose scratching can be a subconscious attempt to relieve anxiety associated with dishonesty. Nose scratching may suggest potential deception, but relying solely on this cue is far from foolproof.

What is Pinocchio a metaphor for? ›

Psychologically, this metaphor is incredibly valid, indicating the incomplete condition of our conscious selves at this early age of our existence. Compared to what we could be, we are all like little boys that are yet undeveloped and the equivalent of wooden puppets.

What is the Pinocchio effect in communication? ›

The Harvard study, Evidence for the Pinocchio Effect found that people who are lying tend to use a lot more words than people who are telling the truth, probably because they feel the need to convince the other person of what they're saying, rather than just tell them something.

What is the Pinocchio syndrome in real life? ›

The Pinocchio syndrome is a condition in which people have a tendency to lie, even when there is no real need to do so. This can be very damaging to personal relationships, as well as professional ones.

Is there anything like Pinocchio syndrome? ›

Pinocchio syndrome is a made-up syndrome that doesn't really exist. Quoted from Wikipedia, Pinocchio syndrome does exist but is different from the syndrome in the drama 'Pinocchio'. Pinocchio syndrome is a condition when a person's body feels stiff like a wooden doll.

What are the symptoms of Pinocchio? ›

Some claim it's because of the rush of blood to the nose when lying, causing the nose to itch. The man, therefore, scratches the nose, showing that it is a lie. This is accompanied by unusual fidgeting, dry lips, clenched fingers, deep breaths and fear of looking into the eye on an ongoing basis.

What is the Pinocchio nose syndrome? ›

The 'Pinocchio' or 'Cyrano' nose is a rare condition in which deformity of the nasal tip is produced by an underlying soft tissue tumour.

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