Othello error Othello error Othello error occurs when a suspicious observer discounts cues of truthfulness. Essentially the Othello error occurs, Paul Ekman states, "when the lie catcher fails to consider that a truthful person who is under stress may appear to be lying" their non-verbal signals expressing their worry at the possibility of being disbelieved. A lie-detector or polygraph may be deceived in the same way, by misinterpreting nervous signals from a truthful person. The error is named after William Shakespeare's tragic play "Othello"; the dynamics between the two main characters, Othello and Desdemona, are a particularly well-known example of the error
Othello (1781 ship) Othello (1781 ship) Othello (or "Ortello"), was launched at Liverpool in 1769, possibly under the name "Preston". Under the command of Captain James Johnson "Othello" made two voyages in the African slave trade in 1781 and 1782. She was lost at Tortola in 1783, during the second voyage. "Othello" enters "Lloyd's Register" in 1781 with master James Johnson and William Earl (or Earle), owner. "Othello" had been lengthened in 1770, had undergone a good repair in 1778, and had received a large repair in 1780. At that time her name had been "Preston". "Othello" was armed, and Johnson had received