Facial width-to-height ratios and deception skill

Prior research on facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR) has demonstrated links between it and numerous traits and antisocial behavior, including deception. No study, however, has examined whether fWHR is associated with deception skills. Here, a community sample of N = 72 individuals were randomly assigned to truth or lie conditions in a mock theft experiment and interviewed. Video clips from the interviews were shown to N = 248 observers, who judged whether the interviewees were telling the truth or lying, the likelihood that interviewees committed a theft, and confidence in their judgments. There was no association between fWHR and accuracy scores or confidence ratings, and good and bad truthtellers and liars did not differ in their fWHR. Instead, people with larger fWHR, regardless of veracity condition, sex, or ethnicity, were more likely to be judged inaccurately as lying and as having committed the crime. fWHR may influence social perceptions about deception.