What Vanessa Van Edwards has said about Deception detection

Van Edwards says listeners give 12.5 times more weight to gestures than words, because liars use less gesture.

“your brain gives 12.5 times more weight to my gesture. So you're literally more likely to believe my hand. Why? Liars use less gesture”

Mayim Bialik's Breakdown: Re-Air: #1 Body Language Expert Explains Subtle Cues Impact Everything From Dating To Work Promotions | Vanessa Van Edwards (Oct 30, 2026) · Listen from 23:49

Van Edwards identifies the incongruent nod, saying yes while shaking the head no, as a common lying tell.

“Liars don't practice their nonverbal cues. And so they'll often say yes, but shake their head no”

Mayim Bialik's Breakdown: Re-Air: #1 Body Language Expert Explains Subtle Cues Impact Everything From Dating To Work Promotions | Vanessa Van Edwards (Oct 30, 2026) · Listen from 28:58

Van Edwards cautions that no single cue indicates lying and that only statistical cues exist.

“lie detection is very hard. It's a very challenging science because there's not a single cue that means someone's lying”

Mayim Bialik's Breakdown: Re-Air: #1 Body Language Expert Explains Subtle Cues Impact Everything From Dating To Work Promotions | Vanessa Van Edwards (Oct 30, 2026) · Listen from 33:35