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Is Body Language Junk Science?

Michael Shermer, founder of the Skeptics Society, puts Jo Ellan Demitrius to the test: There is a line in there from social scientist Carol Tavris so-called skeptics often say, and which I loathe. She says of body language research: ?There is no scientific research showing that anybody can tell with 90 to 100% accuracy whether somebody is lying or telling the truth, based on their body language.? A critical thinker will realize how limited her claim is.  First, the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.  Second, what theory explaining human psychological behavior is 90-to-100% effective? If you can show that you can spot a liar greater than you could by chance alone, then you?re onto something pretty big Unfortunately, people who call themselves skeptics are not skeptical at all...continue to full post

Full post as published by Crime & Federalism on December 07, 2008 (boomark / email).