The Hurler On The Ditch

James Pennebaker, from the University of Texas at Austin, developed a model for deception in text. The model is based on the relative frequency of certain kinds of words.

The Pennebaker model predicts that deceptive text will be marked by:

* A decreased frequency of first-person pronouns, perhaps because of a speaker's attempts to distance himself or herself from what's being said;
* A decreased frequency of exception words, such as `however' and `unless', perhaps to keep the story simple;
* An increased frequency of negative emotion words, perhaps because of some instinctive distaste about deceiving; and
* An increased frequency of action words, perhaps to keep the story going so that inconsistencies might not be noticed.