Related Experiment Videos
Who lies?
1Department of Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station 77843-4235, USA. dak@psyc.tamu.edu
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|May 1, 1996
Summary
People who lie more are more manipulative and sociable, while those who lie less are more socialized with better relationships. Personality traits influence lie-telling behavior and relationship quality.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Individual differences are hypothesized to predict lie-telling behavior.
- Understanding the predictors of everyday deception is crucial for social psychology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between individual differences and everyday lie-telling.
- To explore how personality traits correlate with the frequency and type of lies told.
Main Methods:
- 147 participants (77 undergraduates, 70 community members) completed 12 individual difference measures.
- Participants maintained a daily diary for one week, recording social interactions and instances of lie-telling.
Main Results:
- Higher rates of lying correlated with increased manipulativeness, concern for self-presentation, and sociability.
- Lower rates of lying were associated with higher socialization and better same-sex relationship quality.
- Manipulative, less socialized individuals told more self-serving lies; those with higher quality relationships told more other-oriented lies.
Conclusions:
- Personality traits significantly predict everyday deception and its nature.
- Lie-telling is linked to social dynamics, self-presentation, and relationship satisfaction.
- Individual differences offer insight into the motivations behind both self-serving and other-oriented lies.