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Related Concept Videos

Understanding Deception01:14

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Deception is a pervasive aspect of human communication. Empirical studies have shown that most individuals engage in some form of deceit on a daily basis, with approximately 20% of social exchanges involving deceptive elements. Lying follows a developmental trajectory, peaking during adolescence and declining with age, possibly due to the maturation of cognitive control and social accountability.Cognitive and Social Factors in Deception DetectionDespite its prevalence, accurately detecting...
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People can go to great lengths to protect their self-image and present themselves in ways that they want others to see them. Sociologist Erving Goffman presented the idea that a person is like an actor on a stage. Calling his theory dramaturgy, Goffman believed that we use “impression management” to present ourselves to others as we hope to be perceived. Each situation is a new scene, and individuals perform different roles depending on who is present (Goffman, 1959). Think about...
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Self-serving bias is a cognitive phenomenon in which individuals attribute positive outcomes to internal factors such as their abilities, intelligence, or effort while attributing negative outcomes to external circumstances. This cognitive distortion helps maintain self-esteem but can also impede objective self-assessment.Theoretical Explanations of Self-Serving BiasTwo primary theories explain the self-serving bias: the cognitive explanation and the motivational explanation.The cognitive...
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Self-discrepancy theory explains how people compare their actual self to their ideal and ought selves and how mismatches between these self-guides can lead to emotional distress. Developed by E. Tory Higgins, the theory distinguishes among three components of self-concept: the actual self, the ideal self, and the ought self. These refer respectively to how individuals perceive themselves, how they aspire to be, and how they believe they are obligated to be. Emotional well-being, self-esteem,...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 25, 2026

An Experimental Analysis of Children's Ability to Provide a False Report about a Crime
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Self-deceived individuals are better at deceiving others.

Shakti Lamba1, Vivek Nityananda2

  • 1Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, United Kingdom; Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.

Plos One
|August 28, 2014
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Summary

Self-deception, while harmful, may have evolved to help deceive others. Overconfident people are often perceived more favorably, suggesting self-deception influences social judgments and potentially institutional risk.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Behavioral Economics
  • Social Cognition

Background:

  • Self-deception is a common human trait with potentially severe negative consequences.
  • A controversial evolutionary hypothesis suggests self-deception evolved to aid in deceiving others.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To empirically test the hypothesis that self-deception evolved to facilitate the deception of others.
  • To investigate the real-world implications of self-deception on social perception and institutional functioning.

Main Methods:

  • Field study examining the relationship between self-deception (operationalized as over/underconfidence) and observer judgments.
  • Analysis of how observer perceptions of individuals' competence and accomplishments are influenced by self-deceptive tendencies.

Main Results:

  • Overconfident individuals were consistently overrated by observers.
  • Underconfident individuals were judged by observers to be less competent than their actual abilities.
  • Findings indicate that self-deception, rather than pure accomplishment, can influence social rewards.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides real-world support for the hypothesis that self-deception aids in deceiving others.
  • Promoting overconfident, self-deceived individuals may inadvertently increase institutional vulnerability to risk.
  • Practical assessment methods are proposed to mitigate the influence of self-deception in organizations.