U.VA. EXPERTS CAN OFFER FRESH PERSPECTIVES
DURING FINAL MONTH OF CAMPAIGN

	On the eve of the first presidential candidates' debate, as
results of public opinion polls are released and final drafts of
campaign speeches are delivered, the following University of
Virginia experts can offer insights about the process.


Presidential Contenders at the Podium
VOTERS HAVE FEW CLUES TO DETECT WHO'S LYING 

	Lights, cameras, presidential candidates and rhetoric. When
the candidates debate or make speeches, are there clues from their
demeanor that might indicate if they are lying?

	"All bets are off," said Bella M. DePaulo, a University of
Virginia psychology professor well known for her research on lying
and detecting deceit.

	"The ordinarily difficult task of discerning from demeanor
and style when someone is lying may become nearly impossible when
watching such pros as Clinton and Dole," said DePaulo, author of
numerous articles on lying. "Don't count on detecting lies from
nonverbal cues from high-level politicians accustomed to large
crowds and high stakes." 

	Research shows that people do slightly better than chance at
detecting who is lying and who is telling the truth, DePaulo said,
but when it comes to politicians used to the limelight, it becomes
even more difficult to detect lies. Among the reasons she cites are: 

	¥ Politicians have rehearsed their performances at great
length. "For novices, rehearsing does not always help. Their
performances can seem lacking in spontaneity and sincerity. They can
seem too smooth. But experienced public speakers can create a
compelling and credible performance, perhaps even when they are
lying," said DePaulo, who has studied videotapes of people telling
lies as well as truths. 

	¥ Experienced politicians, instead of being unnerved by the
limelight, can rise to the challenge. "Some politicians seem to love
the attention of a large, live audience and millions of television
viewers. Their lies may be especially difficult to detect. However
for many of us, when the pressure is on, we try too hard to control
our nonverbal behaviors, and as a result, we look stiff -- as if we
have something to hide. This inhibition is evident to others who
then realize we are lying."

	Nonverbal cues associated with guilt or anxiety can give
lies away, the researcher has found.  For example, people's voices
can get noticeably higher in pitch when they lie, and they are more
likely to stammer or stumble over their words.

	Liars often talk in overly general ways, distancing
themselves from what they are saying, DePaulo believes.  "Liars
might say 'one would think that. . .' or 'people say' instead of
saying 'I think.'" 

	There are two bottom-line reasons why lying is difficult to
detect. "Different people lie in different ways," says DePaulo,
author of two articles describing the extent of lying in everyday
life that appeared in the Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology this spring. And there is no universal clue that
indicates when a person is lying. "People don't have Pinocchio's
nose."

	For more information, Bella DePaulo can be reached at (804)
924-0675 or via bmd@virginia.edu.


PUSH POLLING, A DIRTY PRACTICE IN POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS:
LET THE VOTERS BE AWARE

	How many times have you just sat down to dinner when the
phone rings, and it's a pollster? As the presidential campaign
enters its final month, those calls will probably be coming more
frequently. 

	And as University of Virginia's nationally renowned
political scientist, Larry J. Sabato, writes in his book "Dirty
Little Secrets: The Persistence of Corruption in American Politics,"
telephone polls are growing sleazier.

	The telephone polls, called "push polling" in political
campaigns, often say things like, "Would you still vote for
[Candidate B] if you knew he was gay?" although, in fact, the
candidate is not gay, Sabato points out. Under the guise of
legitimate polling, those engaged in push polling don't record data
but, instead, use the conversation to plant rumors or spread false
information in the hopes of influencing election outcomes. 

	Such practices add to voter cynicism and fuel distrust of
the political process, Sabato says.  

	Larry Sabato, the Robert Kent Gooch Professor at U.Va. who
has served on numerous national and state commissions including the
National Commission for the Renewal of American Democracy, can be
reached at (804) 924-3604, office; (804) 977-3472, home or via
ljs@virginia.edu. 

	Other U.Va. faculty who can comment on politics and/or
polling are: 

	Glenn Beamer, whose research interests include polling,
urban and gender politics.  He can be contacted at (804) 924-4660,
office; (804) 293-4934, home; or via gb5g@virginia.edu. 

	James W. Ceaser, professor of government and foreign
affairs, who has written extensively on presidential elections.  His
books include "Presidential Selection" and "Reforming the Reforms."
He can be reached at (804) 924-7903 or via jwc2g@virginia.edu.


	Steven E. Finkel, professor of government and foreign
affairs, whose research focuses on political participation and
voting behavior in the United States. An expert in survey research
methodology. Finkel is the author of numerous articles in major
political science journals. He can be reached at (804) 924 6994 or
sef@virginia.edu. 

	Thomas M. Guterbock, director of the U.Va. Center for Survey
Research, can offer expert opinion on good and bad polling
practices, push polling, survey methods and why different polls show
substantial statistical differences from each other.  Guterbock can
be reached at (804) 924-6516, or via tomg@virginia.edu

	Timothy S. Prinz, assistant professor of government and
foreign affairs, is an expert on Congressional elections.  His
research has also touched on issues of redistricting, welfare, the
mass media and political behavior.  During 1994-95, as a recipient
of the William A. Steiger Congressional Fellowship, he worked with
Sen. Tom Daschle (D-South Dakota) on welfare reform.  He is on leave
this year at the University of California at Berkeley, where he is
conducting research on poverty and health care.  He can be reached
at (510) 643-0920 or tprinz@violet.berkeley.edu.

	###

October 3, 1996