Everyone lies sometimes. This could be small white lies or subtle distortions of the truth, but lying also happens on a larger scale. Why do we do this? And is it problematic that lying is so widespread? Sophie van der Zee, Assistant Professor at Erasmus School of Economics, provides answers in the BNR podcast De duistere kant van de mens.
Why do we lie?
Van der Zee, cofounder of the Deception Research Society, conducts extensive research on lying. Measuring how often people lie is challenging, but research indicates that participants report an average of two lies per day. Interestingly, half claim they haven't lied at all. For both children and adults, the primary reason for lying is to avoid unpleasant tasks. Children often lie to escape punishment or to get what they want, while adults tend to have more social or strategic reasons.
When does lying become dark?
Lying often serves as a 'social glue,' but it can also have a dark side. People with dark personality traits, such as the Dark Triad (narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy), tend to lie more frequently and instrumentally to achieve their goals. At a young age, lying can be a sign of intelligence. Around the age of four, children develop a theory of mind, which is the realisation that others may not know what they know, allowing them to keep secrets and manipulate information.
Differences between men and women
While men and women lie equally often, the type of lie differs. Men are more likely to tell self-serving lies to make themselves look better, whereas women tend to tell social lies to avoid hurting others. People lie the most in situations related to work and relationships. Online dating profiles often contain small lies, but most people don’t fully lie, as they still want to see themselves as honest individuals.
Is spreading false information the same as lying?
According to Van der Zee, someone who says something incorrect isn’t necessarily lying. She investigated Donald Trump's statements, which the media often labeled as lies. The Washington Post fact-checked his claims and found many inaccuracies. However, lying requires intent, which is difficult to determine from isolated statements. Alongside others, Van der Zee therefore analysed Trump's language use and discovered patterns consistent with how people lie, according to scientific literature. A model then predicted with 75% accuracy whether a new tweet was deceptive, purely based on word choice rather than content.
