His Lips Are Moving: Pinocchio Effect and Other Lexical Indicators of Political Deceptions

Abstract

Using the software program LIWC (Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count), this study used political statements classified as truths and lies by website Politifact.com and examined lexical differences between statement type (lie or truth) and the setting (interactive or scripted) in which the statement was given. In interactive settings (where statements given are prompted by questioning), politicians used shorter sentences, simpler words, and fewer causation statements than statements given in scripted settings (where statements are prepared in advance). Lying politicians used more words and negation statements than truth-tellers in both interactive and scripted settings. In interactive settings, politicians used more first-person pronouns. There were no main effects of deception on use of first- and third-person pronouns. Further, there are no effects of deception on use of negative emotion words or profanity. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of setting for studying lexical differences in deception and implications for the study of deception in political communication.