Cognitive Psychology: Looking Honestly

into Lying
By Peter J. Hills, Michael Pake

1)Lying is a deliberate attempt to mislead someone verbally or by conveying a

false impression through body language. Cognitive psychologists are
particularly interested in lying, because it’s a special kind of thought process:
unusually, it’s not designed to communicate truthfully with other people.
Normal thought and communication is based on trying to provide accurate
information (for example, a textbook wouldn’t be much good if it was designed
not to tell the truth!). This difference makes lying an unusual process.

2)People lie at least twice a day and in approximately one-fifth of all

interactions lasting more than ten minutes (politicians and the media, no doubt,
lie even more often). Men and women lie an equal amount, but women are
slightly better at detecting lying (at least among their same-sex friends).

3)Some people are more likely to lie than others (such as the manipulative and
Machiavellian) and some are better at lying than others (the physically attractive
and self-confident). Certain groups of people tend not to lie, such as people with
a sense of social responsibility and those suffering from depression.

1) find the definition of these following words in the passage:

a. Cognitive b.deliberate c. mislead d. conveying e.particularly f. accurate

g. slightly h.manipulative i.machiavellian j.depression k.detecting
L. thought m.psychologist
 2) Why is lying an unusual process ?

3) Which group of people tend not to lie?

4)Which type of people are more likely to lie than others?

5) Which type of people are better at lying than others?

Statements True False

Lying is a usual thought process

Men are slightly better at detecting lying

Women lie more than men

Politicians and the media don’t lie more often than othes

6)

7) make a sentence using these vocabulary:

a. Lie (a verb: used without object), lied, lying. Definition: to speak falsely or
utter untruth knowingly, as with intent to deceive”.

b. Lie (a verb: used without object), lay, lain, lying. Definition: to rest in a
horizontal or flat position. E.g. “The book lies on the table.”