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Updated: Nov 20, 2025
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The Modified Temptation Resistance Task: A Paradigm to Elicit Children's Strategic Lie-telling
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Lying and Theory of Mind: A Meta-Analysis
Jia Ying Sarah Lee1, Kana Imuta1
1The University of Queensland.
Child Development
|January 19, 2021
Summary
Children
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Theory-of-mind (ToM) is crucial for social interaction.
- Lying is a complex social behavior.
- The relationship between ToM and lying in children is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To meta-analyze the association between theory-of-mind and lying in children.
- To examine moderating factors including lie facets, lie valence, ToM type, and culture.
Main Methods:
- Meta-analysis of 81 studies.
- Inclusion of 7,826 children aged 2-14 years.
- Analysis across collectivist and individualist cultures.
Main Results:
- A small, significant positive association (r = .23) between ToM and lying.
- Significant moderation by facet of lying and ToM type.
- ToM was most strongly linked to lie maintenance and weakest for spontaneous lie production.
- First-order ToM showed a stronger link to lying than second-order ToM.
Conclusions:
- Theory-of-mind development is positively associated with children's lying abilities.
- The relationship varies depending on the specific aspect of lying and the type of ToM involved.
- Findings highlight the intricate connection between cognitive and social development in children's deceptive behaviors.
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