SOCIAL DECEPTION IN EVERYDAY LIFE.
Item
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Title
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SOCIAL DECEPTION IN EVERYDAY LIFE.
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Identifier
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AAI8713808
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identifier
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8713808
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Creator
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WACKENHUT, JOYCE.
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Contributor
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Irwin Katz
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Date
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1987
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Social
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Abstract
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While there is a fairly extensive literature on the detection of deception, very little empirical research has investigated the meaning and function of deception (lies) in personal relationships. However, several theoretical perspectives bear on this topic, for example, Bok's (1978) and Luhmann's (1979). A small number of studies have investigated actual instances of deceptive behavior in personal relationships. In addition, more systematic inquiries have addressed related topics, such as the large body of research on attributions of responsibility (or morality). The present research investigated reactions to a "paternalistic" lie. It was hypothesized that people will not judge the appropriateness of lying in personal relationships solely according to the commonly accepted norms about lying, but also on the basis of other important factors in the lie-telling situation. Specifically, it was predicted that, due to the "liar's bias" (Bok, 1978), subjects asked to identify with the lie-teller's role would judge a lie less harshly along several important psychological dimensions than would subjects asked to identify with the target's role. It was also predicted that a lie with a positive outcome would be judged less harshly along these same dimensions than one having negative results, with judgments of a neutral outcome lie falling somewhere in between. These dimensions included: (a) evaluations of the appropriateness of the lie, (b) attributions of the lie-teller's motives for having told the lie (self-serving vs. altruistic), (c) evaluations of the appropriateness of the truth, had it been told instead, (d) attributions of the lie-teller's motives for telling the truth, had she done so (self-serving vs. altruistic), (e) judgments of the likelihood that the lie would become detected, and (f) judgments of the impact of the lie, or the truth, on the relationship between the lie-teller and target. The majority of these predictions were at least partially supported. Perspective and outcome were also related to a number of exploratory variables included in the study.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Psychology
