Breakdown:

1. No Baseline for Strangers:
   • When you’re communicating with someone you know well, it’s easier to detect lies based on deviations from their usual behavior, known as a “baseline.” However, when you’re speaking to a stranger, you lack that baseline, making it harder to use typical body language or behavioral cues to detect dishonesty. Instead, you’ll need to focus on a different set of tools: the content of their words.
2. Using Elicitation:
   • Elicitation refers to the technique of drawing information out of someone without directly asking them. This can be a highly effective way to detect lies, especially when you have no previous interaction history with the person. The core of this method is to test the consistency of the information a stranger provides during a conversation.
3. Repeating Statements:
   • One simple technique is to repeat the person’s statement back to them later in the conversation. For instance, if a salesperson claims that a product will reduce solar energy in your home by 25%, you can bring this up again after some time. Asking them to reconfirm the information will help you determine if their story is consistent.
   • If they alter the percentage (e.g., saying 20% or 40% instead of the original 25%) or agree with a deliberately incorrect number (e.g., you claim they said 35% instead of 25%), this inconsistency is a strong indicator they may be lying or unsure about the truth.
4. Testing the Details:
   • The goal of elicitation is to check for variations in specific details. Since you don’t have a baseline for how a stranger normally communicates, you focus on whether the factual content of their statements shifts over time. This can be a strong signal of deception, as people who are lying often struggle to maintain consistency in specific details.
   • For instance, in a sales scenario, if a person continually changes facts about their product, or if they agree to incorrect information you present to them (like changing 25% to 35% in the example), they might be trying to manipulate the situation.
5. Importance of Specific Details:
   • When you can’t rely on physical cues or baseline behaviors, paying close attention to the specific details of what someone is saying becomes crucial. Small changes in information—especially numerical or factual—can reveal dishonesty or an attempt to mislead.
6. False Agreement as a Red Flag:
   • A common sign of a lie is when a person agrees to information they know is incorrect just to avoid conflict or questioning. For example, if you falsely attribute a statement to them and they go along with it, it suggests they weren’t being truthful to begin with. This willingness to agree without correction is a key indicator in deception detection.

In summary, when interacting with a stranger and trying to assess if they are lying, the most effective strategy is to use elicitation techniques. By subtly testing their consistency with specific information and looking for variations, you can reveal dishonesty without needing a behavioral baseline. This approach is especially useful in situations where you can’t rely on body language or prior knowledge of the person.