Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-11T07:53:42.743Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Parental Deception: Perceived Effects on Parent-Child Relationships

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 February 2017

Joscelyn R. Cargill  and
Drew A. Curtis
Joscelyn R. Cargill
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Sociology, and Social Work, Angelo State University, San Angelo, Texas, USA
Drew A. Curtis*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Sociology, and Social Work, Angelo State University, San Angelo, Texas, USA
*
ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Drew A. Curtis, PhD, Department of Psychology, Sociology and Social Work, Angelo State University, ASU Station 10907, San Angelo, TX 76909-0907, USA. Email: drew.curtis@angelo.edu
Get access

Abstract

Deception research has recently begun to examine its occurrence within parent-child relationships. The use and consequence of parental deception on the parent-child relationship remains unclear. The current study examined the effects of parental lies on the parent-child relationship. Questionnaires were provided to 276 participants that asked them to indicate their satisfaction with their parents, what kinds of lies parents have told, the seriousness of the lies, and how the lies affected their relationship. Findings revealed a negative correlation between parental deception and satisfaction, and parents were rated most likely to use white lies than any other types. The implications of the use of deception within parent-child relationships are discussed.

Keywords

deceptionliessatisfactionparent-childparenting
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Relationships Research , Volume 8 , 2017 , e1
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Argo, J.J., & Shiv, B. (2012). Are white lies as innocuous as we think? Journal of Consumer Research, 38, 1093–1102.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Batson, C.D., & Thompson, E.R. (2001). Why don't moral people act morally? Motivational considerations. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 10, 54–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Batson, C.D., Thompson, E.R., Seuferling, G.W., & Strongman, J.A. (1999). Moral hypocrisy: Appearing moral to oneself without being so. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 525–537.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bryant, E. (2008). Real lies, white lies and gray lies: Towards a typology of deception. Kaleidoscope, 7, 23–48.Google Scholar
Curtis, D.A. (2013). Therapists’ beliefs and attitudes towards client deception (Doctoral dissertation).Google Scholar
Curtis, D.A., & Hart, C.L. (2015). Pinocchio's nose in therapy: Therapists’ beliefs and attitudes toward client deception. International Journal for The Advancement Of Counselling, 37, 279–292.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DePaulo, B.M., & Bell, K.L. (1996). Truth and investment: Lies are told to those who care. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 703–716. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.71.4.703 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
DePaulo, B.M., & Kashy, D.A. (1998). Everyday lies in close and casual relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 63–79. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.74.1.63 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
DePaulo, B.M., Kashy, D.A., Kirkendol, S.E., Wyer, M.M., & Epstein, J.A. (1996). Lying in everyday life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 979–995.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Field, A. (1998). A bluffer's guide to . . . sphericity. The British Psychological Society: Mathematical, Statistical & Computing Section Newsletter, 6, 13–22.Google Scholar
Friesen, M.D., & Woodward, L.J. (2013). Quality of parent-child relations in adolescence and later adult parenting outcomes. Social Development, 22, 539–554.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fu, G., Heyman, G.D., Chen, G., Liu, P., & Lee, K. (2015). Children trust people who lie to benefit others. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 129, 127–139. doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2014.09.006 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Global Deception Research Team. (2006). A world of lies. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 37, 60–74. doi:10.1177/0022022105282295 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hart, C.L., Curtis, D.A., Williams, N.M., Hathaway, M.D., & Griffith, J.D. (2014). Do as I say, not as I do: Benevolent deception in romantic relationships. Journal of Relationships Research, 5, 1–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heyman, G.D., Luu, D.H., & Lee, K. (2009). Parenting by lying. Journal of Moral Education, 38, 353–369.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heyman, G.D., Hsu, A.S., Fu, G., & Lee, K. (2013). Instrumental lying by parents in the US and China. International Journal of Psychology, 48, 1176–1184.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kaplar, M.E. (2006). Lying happily ever after: Altruistic white lies, positive illusions, and relationship satisfaction. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering, 67 (4-B), 2281.Google Scholar
Kaplar, M.E., & Gordon, A.K. 2004. The enigma of altruistic lying: Perspective differences in what motivates and justifies lie telling within romantic relationships. Personal Relationships, 11, 489–507.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, K. (2013). Little Liars: Development of verbal deception in children. Child Development Perspectives, 7, 91–96.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Niemiec, C.P., Lynch, M.F., Vansteenkiste, M., Berstein, J., Deci, E.L., & Ryan, R.M. (2006). The antecedents and consequences of autonomous self-regulation for college: A self-determination theory perspective on socialization. Journal of Adolescence, 29, 761–775.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nisbett, R.E., & Wilson, T.D. (1977). The Halo effect: Evidence for unconscious alteration of judgments. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 35, 250–256.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peterson, C. (1996). Deception in intimate relationships. International Journal of Psychology, 31, 279–288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robbins, R.J. (1994). An assessment of perceptions of parental autonomy support and control: Child and parent correlates (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Department of Psychology, University of Rochester. New York.Google Scholar
Sagarin, B.J., Rhoads, K.L., & Cialdini, R.B. (1998). Deceiver's distrust: Denigration as a consequence of undiscovered deception. Society for Personality and Social Psychology, 24, 1167–1176.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schweitzer, M.E., Hershey, J.C., & Bradlow, E.T. (2006). Promises and lies: Restoring violated trust. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 101, 1–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sodian, B. (1991). The development of deception in young children. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 9, 173–188.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Talwar, V., & Lee, K. (2002). Emergence of white lie-telling in children between 3 and 7 years of age. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 48, 160–181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vrij, A. (2000). Detecting lies and deceit: The psychology of lying and the implications for professional practice. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Vrij, A. (2008). Detecting lies and deceit: Pitfalls and opportunities. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Williams, S.M., Kirmayer, M., Simon, T., & Talwar, V. (2013). Children's antisocial and prosocial lies to familiar and unfamiliar adults. Infant and Child Development, 22, 430–438.CrossRefGoogle Scholar