There are two terms that are most important when describing various domains in the theory of deception; attempted control and cognitive processing.
Attempted control
In attempted control, a liar will find his or her best to make it sound and look like they are telling the truth. This will generate some tension and awkward behaviour as the act of lying will be stressful to the individual. The person will involuntarily act in a way that is likely to raise suspicion since telling the truth should be effortless. The tell tale signs may include signs such as odd facial expressions, an unusual tone of voice or even a misplaced gesture. The lying individual will behave in a way that does not make any sense.
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The anxiety or fear of the truth coming out is often the main reason that the liar tries desperately to control his or her actions. One interesting spectrum about this concept is how one would be able to differentiate between lying and someone who is just nervous. Sometimes, a person may exhibit signs of nervousness by displaying awkward gestures and incomprehensible facial expressions. These acts may be done if the person is communicating information that is likely to be of a controversial nature. The person may also fear the reactions of the person receiving the news especially if they are held in high esteem. For example, if a man was in an unusual situation with a woman of questionable character, he may lie about this so as to avoid his partner's speculation. However, at the last minute he may decide to tell the truth. He will appear nervous because of the fear of speculation. If he were lying, he would still be nervous because of the same fear. Therefore, in my opinion, attempted control may or may not be a symptom of lying.
Cognitive processing
Cognitive processing is another such factor. This makes more sense because it demonstrates the requirement or some effort to generate a lie. The mind is under strain because of the impromptu need to respond in the least damaging way. The person will strain their speech and they my tell an incoherent or inconsistent tale that will leave the listener confused or at least doubtful. This is the concept or outcome that is opposite of attempted control. Here, there is limited time and options on how to respond. The liar must come up with a convincing response within minutes or even seconds. The result is often stalling and hesitation as the truth is twisted into a better or more acceptable version. Moreover some who often talks fast may suddenly become quite slow or hesitant. An example is an employee who has been caught stealing company resources. When questioned, they may pause and fidget while thinking of a convincing story. Actions like playing with the phone or asking irrelevant questions such as the date may be the telling sign of trouble.
The liar in this case is not ready to tell the truth, yet they are not ready to tell a half baked lie that may be used against them in future. Stalling gives them time to create a convincing story and avoid follow up questions. However, follow up questions creates a similar situation with the liar stalling more and developing a defensive approach. The significant thing about these two aspects is the accuracy. Some scholars say that it is easier to detect lying if the person is well known to you. However, I think that this may not be true if the person is a habitual liar. In conclusion, these aspects are guidelines and not absolute rules that should be deemed accurate.
