The Psychology of Truth and Lies
Explore the cognitive friction between honesty and deception. Learn why our brains are wired to believe, how we trick ourselves, and the strategic mechanics of decision-making under uncertainty.
Like Duolingo, but for The Psychology of Truth and Lies. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
A short one: 12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes end to end, roughly 5 days at five minutes a day. It moves through The Mechanics of Deception and Deciding What to Believe. It assumes you already know the basics.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in The Psychology of Truth and Lies
- Lying requires more mental effort than truth-telling
- Physical tells are easily faked
- The Othello Error
- High-stakes arousal
- Cognitive load vs physical tells
- Othello Error and arousal
- The interviewer first asks open-ended questions without revealing what they already know.
- Liars prefer 'unverifiable' details like internal feelings or private thoughts.
- The suspect is allowed to commit to a specific, potentially false story.
- Identifying cognitive load as a superior indicator of deception over physical fidgeting
- Verifiable details include specific people met, receipts, or CCTV-monitored locations.
- Evidence is only disclosed at the end to highlight contradictions in the suspect's account.
- Recognizing the Othello Error in high-stakes psychological assessments
- Distinguishing between verifiable and non-verifiable details in statements
- Applying the Strategic Use of Evidence (SUE) technique sequence
- A baseline accounts for individual quirks like natural stuttering or avoiding eye contact.
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives The Psychology of Truth and Lies the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
Imagine a suspect sitting perfectly still and maintaining steady eye contact. Why might a psychologist be skeptical of these physical signs?
Get it right to open this lesson and 11 more in the app.
How to learn The Psychology of Truth and Lies, step by step
Go in order. 12 short levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes in all, five minutes a day.
- 1
The Mechanics of Deception
- Beyond the Pinocchio Myth
- The Lies We Tell Ourselves
- 2
Deciding What to Believe
- The Truth-Default in Decisions
- The Strategy of Honesty
2 sections · 4 units · 12 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Questions about The Psychology of Truth and Lies
How do I learn The Psychology of Truth and Lies?
Go in order: start with The Mechanics of Deception, then Deciding What to Believe. On Tomo that's 12 short levels, about 24 minutes in all, played five minutes a day. Start free and play the first level in under a minute.
Is there a Duolingo-style app for The Psychology of Truth and Lies?
Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. The Psychology of Truth and Lies is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.
Is The Psychology of Truth and Lies free?
Yes. The Psychology of Truth and Lies is playable on Tomo's free plan, which doesn't expire. No credit card, no waitlist. Download the app and start your first lesson.
How long does it take to learn The Psychology of Truth and Lies?
12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes of play in total. It's built for five minutes a day, so you finish it a little at a time instead of all at once.
Do I need any background to start The Psychology of Truth and Lies?
No. It's pitched at an intermediate level, so it starts where you are and builds up. If you can tap a phone, you can start.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
The Psychology of Truth and Lies is taught in the Storyteller style: every lesson is a story. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start The Psychology of Truth and Lies today.
Download Tomo, search The Psychology of Truth and Lies, and play your first lesson in under a minute.