The better to fool you with: Deception and self-deception

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary psychology
• Behavioral biology
• Social cognition

Background:

• Deception is a widespread strategy across species for increasing fitness.
• Evolutionary pressures favor both deception and the detection of deceptive signals.
• Self-deception offers a potential mechanism to enhance persuasive capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the evolutionary perspective of self-deception as a persuasive strategy.
• To investigate how self-deception influences information sharing and intergroup relations.
• To examine the underlying mechanisms, costs, and benefits of self-deceptive biases.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis from an evolutionary standpoint.
• Review of existing literature on deception and self-deception.
• Theoretical modeling of self-deception in persuasive contexts.

Main Results:

• Self-deception can reduce cognitive load and mask deceptive cues, potentially making deception more effective.
• Persuading oneself of a falsehood may precede and facilitate persuading others.
• Self-deceptive biases are likely to manifest in situations where persuasion is critical.

Conclusions:

• Self-deception serves an adaptive function in enhancing persuasive success.
• Understanding self-deception is crucial for comprehending social dynamics, belief formation, and intergroup conflict.
• Further research is needed to empirically validate the proposed mechanisms and consequences of self-deception in persuasion.