The truth about lies

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If you think you can tell if your child is lying, well, think again. New research from Brock University suggests many parents don’t know when their children are lying to them.

According to a new study there is no such thing as parent’s intuition. Researchers found that parents are less likely to detect if their kids are lying compared to complete strangers.

Parents were asked to rate video recordings of their children, who were between the ages of 8 and 16, to determine if they were lying or telling the truth.
“Parents were most likely to rate the videos as being truthful. So regardless of a lie or a truth they consistently rated the video as truthful.” Angela Evans, Psychologist.

According to Angela Evans’ research, most parents are overly confident in their child’s honesty making it harder for them to spot a fib. The videos were also shown to other parents and even undergraudate students who did not have children.
“All three groups were at chance, so they can flip a coin and be just as accurate at detecting a lie.”

The study suggests parents could also be bad at detecting their children’s lies because they’re worried they’ll ruin the relationship. Most children are thought to start lying as early as two-years-old but hone the art of lying as they get older.

Angela Evans says lying isn’t all that bad. In fact she says lying, especially at a young age, is a sign that the brain is developing. Studies have shown that learning how to lie is considered a key part of the cognitive and social development in children. If you don’t want them to lie well Evans recommends having a transparent relationship from the start