COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL STUDY:  People Don't Look to the Right or Left When They Lie. 

By Sarah D. Sparks on July 11, 2012 5:00 PM

Mr. Smith asks two 5th-grade students why they don't have their spelling homework. The girl pauses, eyes cutting up and to the right, before saying she left it on the bus. The boy tilts his head, eyes moving down and to the left, before he explains that his mom was sick the night before and the family had to go to the hospital. So which one is lying, and which telling the truth?

Both. Neither. Either way—contrary to commonly held belief—the direction of eye movement when a person speaks has nothing to do with the truth of what they say. A series of three studies published this afternoon in the open access Journal PLoS ONE - a coop Science Foundation, found no connection between the direction of eye movement and telling a lie.

A team of University of Edinburgh, Scotland researchers led by psychologist Caroline Watt first videotaped 32 college students twice, both lying and telling the truth in relation to hiding a small object in an office. They then asked 64 reviewers to view the videos on both slow and regular speeds, checking for the direction and time of eye movements; they found no differences in either the time or the direction of students' gaze based on whether the students were telling the truth. Moreover, in a separate related study, reviewers were no more accurate or confident in gauging whether one of the videoed subjects was lying based on their eye movements. In a final study, this time of police videos related to missing persons cases, in which the subject was later shown to be lying or telling the truth, the researchers also found no difference in eye movement between liars and those telling the truth.

Sure, this study is cool—I'd always heard the eyes-right-means-a-lie tip, too—but what how does it affect education, beyond sending teachers back to the drawing board when it comes to judging kids' homework excuses? The eye movement-lying concept is based on a theory that looking to the left triggers "remembered" events, while looking right accesses "constructed" events, similar to the common misconception that people can be logical or creative based on which brain hemisphere is dominant. It's one more example of how easy it is for a limited research finding to take hold in practice.

And if you're wondering, my mother, a teacher, has heard both of these homework excuses, along with about a million variations, some real and some cut from whole cloth. I'd love to see a study matching the lie-detecting skills of your average K-12 classroom teacher against any police inspector or Homeland Security officer. I know who my money's on. 

A DESPERATE PLEA FOR HELP TO CTA PRESIDENT DEAN VOGEL FROM ONE TEACHER OUT IN JURUPA USD, RIVERSIDE CA.

Subject: Teacher Abuse in the Jurupa Unified School District by CTA representatives and JUSD Administration
Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2012 07:47:58 -0700

Dear Mr. Vogel,

We at Jurupa Unified School District need your help, desperately!!!

The Union is in collusion with the district.

One example:  I was terminated by JUSD, (but the decision was overturned in Superior Court).
Throughout the entire 2+ year process, I begged and pleaded for legal help from my Union, John Vigrass President, and Ed Sibby CTA representative.  I was repeatedly told that "if the district chose to go for termination" then I would receive legal help.  Despite repeated written requests, text messages and verbal phone calls begging the union to be proactive rather than reactive, I was lied to and ignored.  The Union President usually said he would "ask the Assistant Superintendent, Tammy Elzig, what to do" and get back to me.  The same is true for Ed Sibby.

I was forced to pay inordinate amounts of money for private lawyers.  The Union did nothing.

I was placed on a 9-month administrative leave without being told why; was denied my Weingarten Rights, being told by Tammy Elzig that I was not in trouble, so I was not entitled to Union representation, but to say nothing.  I told the Union and they did nothing.

I was forced to undergo a psychiatric evaluation in violation of Ed Code.  I was not provided a list of doctors.  The evaluation was held in the district office in a room adjacent to the Assistant Superintendent's office.  No psychometric evaluations were administered.  The "Dr." kept leaving the room to consult with the Assistant Superintendent during the evaluation. I told the Union and they did nothing.

I was not provided a Skelly prior to my CPC hearing, and the Union did nothing.

Unverified evidence was presented in the hearing, a violation of CA Ed Code, and the Union did nothing.

Evidence which was over 10 days old, which had never been presented and shown to me prior to the hearing, was presented and the Union did nothing.

I was not allowed to gather exculpatory evidence or interview witnesses prior to the CPC hearing, and the Union did nothing.

Proper discovery did not occur, and the Union did nothing.

False information was added to my personnel file during the course of the proceedings.  The Union did nothing.

I was denied access to my personal posessions, classroom, records and even my right to associate with other unit members, and the Union did nothing.

All Union communications are sent via District email.  I was blocked from using District email.  I complained to both John Vigrass and Ed Sibby, and the Union did nothing.

I filed numerous grievances which were denied at level one, and the Union did nothing.

I was not paid for the last month of my administrative leave and the Union did nothing.

I was not compensated for disciplinary meetings held outside my workday and the Union did nothing.

When terminated, I begged for help with an appeal.  The Union attorney who was finally assigned to me, Marianne Reinhold, told me to find a job outside of education.  The Union did nothing.

The Union President kept telling me to take early retirement, as suggested by the Assistant Superintendent.  I was not eligible, and will not be until September 2012.

I appealed in Pro Per via Writ of Administrative Mandamus.  I retained an attorney after the second amended complaint was filed and prevailed.  On Dec. 2, 2011, the judge ordered that I be reinstated, paid back pay, back medical, out of pocket costs, attorney's fees, etc.  I told the Union President, John Vigrass, his response was that I was in no way shape or form employed by the school district, that the district would, of course, appeal, and only if I prevailed in the District's appeal would I receive help from the Union. 

 One cannot even get assistance when one prevails! 

Why did I pay Union Dues for almost 28 years?  (I was unable to pay while not receiving a check.)

I have a "Right to Sue Letter" against the Union from DFEH.  I will file more PERBs, none of which was or will be done with any Union assistance.

There are over 20 of us in JUSD who are part of a representative group action against the district.  All of us have undergone most if not all of what I have described in the foregoing list of injustices.

I do not want to engage in a legal battle with those whom I paid to protect me for almost 28 years.  Please, for God's sake, help us! 

ANN (LAST NAME WITH HELD)