An Investigation into the Shift in Lie Acceptability in Children from Grades 3-12

• Main Author: Goosie, Marc S
• Format: Others
• Published: Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University 2014
• Subjects: lie acceptability; adolescence; family environment; bad behavior; deception; Speech and Rhetorical Studies
• Online Access: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2376; https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3700&context=etd

In this study the goal was to determine if there was a shift in the extent to which children’s attitudes toward deception change as they age. Participants (N=278) enrolled in grades 3-12 completed a survey assessing their lie acceptability and other factors as potential variables associated with a prodeception attitude. Results indicated that greater lie acceptability was correlated with male children who had self-reported acts of bad behavior. Results also suggest that nontraditional family environments may increase one’s perception of the acceptability of lying. These findings provide potential predictors of the acceptability of lying in children and adolescents that offer insight into the development of antisocial attitudes, which may have practical implications regarding the timing of crucial interventions as to prevent the continuance and escalation of such behaviors in the future.