Interpersonal deception theory

1. Interpersonal
Deception
Theory
By:
Juanita Parris

2. What is it?
Interpersonal
Deception Theory
(IDT)
Attempts to explain how
individuals deal with actual
or perceived deception while
engaged in face-to-face
communication.

3. Who uses it?
IDT was created by David Buller and Judee Burgoon
 Conducted over two dozen experiments in which they ask
participants to deceive another person in same way or
fashion
 Prior to their study, deception had not been fully considered
as a communication activity.

4. So what?
Interpersonal Deception Theory is important to deception
can come in any form of communication and may be
present in any part of our lives.

5. Criticism
 No big “why” question is answered
 There is no intriguing riddle or
puzzle that needs to be solved
 Since a social science theory
should explain as well as describe,
these critics question whether
interpersonal deception theory is
really a theory at all.

6. Key Facts about IDT:
Strategic deception demands more mental effort than
telling the truth.
Deceivers make more
strategic moves and leak
more nonverbal cues than
truth tellers
As relational familiarity
increases, deceivers
become more afraid of
detection, make more
strategic moves, and
display more leakage.