Lies are like buses ... They all come at once!

When researchers study lying - especially lies told in a forensic or custodial situation - they tend to treat the lie as something that occurs in isolation. But lies are rarely like that.

This is especially true when we consider an informant interview. Informants are likely motivated to appear cooperative, and they might be expected to provide a relatively detailed account. Their motivation for lying might be different too. Rather than lying to protect themselves they might be looking to eliminate competition, or even tie up organisational resources.

My research looked at how an embellishment, embedded within an otherwise truthful account, alters the content and framing of the entire story. What this shows is that lies can't simply be treated as isolated untruths - because the lie itself can alter how the account is interpreted and evaluated.

This has real world implications for intelligence professionals who often focus on corroborating key details of an account. In these circumstances, many key details may be verifiable, but their relevance has been misrepresented. The result? Disproportionate decisions, organisational embarrassment and reputational damage.

The solution? Narrative analysis.

I've written two research articles on this very topic, you can find them here and here. Or contact me for more information.