Conceptual and Semiotic Cues of Verbal and Non-verbal Deception in KurdishLanguage

Abstract

  This research is a part of the requirements for a doctoral dissertation titled "Conceptual and Semiotic Cues of Verbal and Non-verbal Deception in Kurdish" which employs a descriptive-psychoanalytic approach. The research aims to integrate the fields of forensic linguistics, psycholinguistics, and criminology in an attempt to analyze the verbal, psychological, and physical indicators exhibited by individuals during criminal investigations. Deception is identified as one of the primary challenges facing the judicial process and investigative procedures, as it is a goal-oriented behavior designed to distort and mislead facts to obstruct the course of justice. The study concludes that regardless of how deceivers attempt to control their behavioral signs, "leakage of cues" inevitably occurs. Through meticulous observation, both verbal and non-verbal types of deception can be detected, serving as evidence to identify the deceiver. Furthermore, the study explores the concepts and terminology of deception and its core elements, supported by examples, leading to a detailed analysis of how deceptive indicators manifest. The process of finding truth and achieving justice is always facing a major obstacle: the phenomenon of “deception”. Deception, as a complex human behavior, is not just an attempt to hide the truth, but a multidimensional mental and linguistic process in which mental states, physical gestures, and linguistic structures are combined. In criminology, this phenomenon becomes a major obstacle for investigators and judicial institutions, because the main goal of the deceiver is to distort the facts and change the course of justice.