I find this show fascinating in that it weaves in real life pictorial examples to support Dr. Cal Lightman’s (Tim Roth’s) assessments of facial expressions. When Dr. Lightman is explaining how a certain facial expression is representative of a certain deception technique, the show gives us examples of famous people (President Clinton, foreign leaders, famous personalities etc) using that same expression.
The idea that one can learn to detect deception is also fascinating. In an article by USA Today, the concept of using facial recognition or deception techniques is becoming very popular by our government. Recognizing emotions won’t help pick a terrorist out of a crowd, but in face-to-face situations, an out-of-place emotion can prompt further questioning (USA Today, 2005).
This show is gaining popularity in that it is exposing new scientific discoveries in assisting criminal investigators very much like how the ever popular TV show CSI (and its sister shows) introduced scientific evidence like DNA, fiber analysis etc.
What will become more interesting is how this new trend will branch into certifications, degree programs and other course work material to attract new talent into the field of psychology and criminal investigation.
If I were able to reinvent myself, this is an area I would be most interested in. I would be willing to devote years to learning this area in order to become a leading expert.
References
Grohol, J (2005, July 21). Face expert's ability to see deception has him in demand. PsychCentral /World of Psychology, Retrieved October 2, 2009 from http://www.psychcentral.com
Jayson, S (2005, July 20). Face expert's ability to see deception has him in demand. USA Today. Retrieved October 2, 2009 from http://www.usatoday.com/news/health
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