You’re a spy. Your mission is to secretly deliver coordinates to a fellow spy at a black-tie gala without blowing your cover. You’re told she’s wearing a pink dress. You spend an hour chatting, dancing, and eating, then successfully drop the coordinates into her pocket. Success.
But as you’re sneaking out the door, you’re pulled away by security and thrown into an interrogation room. Can you lie your way to freedom? Answer these 12 questions to pass our spy lie detector test.
Questions Overview
- I focus on slowing my breathing before I calmly say my cover name.
- I say my cover name right away to show that I’m not hesitating.
- “Not sure why that would be. ”
- “Sounds like your list’s problem.”
- “Dancing, chatting, eating—like everyone else. I don’t normally go to these things, but I donated. So why not?”
- “A friend of a friend of a friend invited me.”
- “I thought the salmon was good, but the shrimp was so-so.”
- “I thought the steak was good, but the shrimp was so-so.”
- “No one.”
- “I met some fascinating people—though, I’m terrible with names, so I’m not sure I could say who.”
- "Who wants to know?"
- “To the gala? Myself, I guess?”
- Close your eyes to help yourself relax.
- Stare him down right back, while silently focusing on keeping my heart from racing.
- “Ah, yes. I have two left feet, I’m afraid.”
- “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
- “Drop something into her pocket at a black tie gala? That would be strange—of course I didn’t.”
- “Ah, you caught me. We’d talked earlier, and I arranged a little run-in so that I could drop my phone number in her pocket.”
- The shrimp.
- The salmon.
More Quizzes
The Science of Lie Detection
As popular as the notion of lie detector tests has become in popular media, did you know that polygraph tests are actually not all that accurate?
A polygraph machine operates under the theory that when people are lying, they experience anxiety, guilt, or fear of being caught—all of which may lead to an increased heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and perspiration. The machine, therefore, was designed to test the examinee’s physiological responses to different questions, with the assumption being that if they presented as “distressed,” they were lying, and if they remained calm, they were telling the truth, because they had nothing to worry about. Of course, people are also likely to be distressed when they’re being interrogated and intimidated, meaning the results of a polygraph may not be totally accurate!
The first polygraph machine was developed in 1921 by John Larson, and though it’s seen many improvements over the decades since then, studies have determined that the polygraph machine is still not all that good at detecting lies. In fact, some psychologists estimate it’s wrong up to half the time. That’s a lot!
Because it’s so inaccurate so often, lie detector tests are not usually admissible as evidence in a criminal trial—though they still may be used in investigations.
Want to learn more?
For more information about lying, liars, and what makes someone great a deception, check out these authoritative resources below:
