See All Stories In

The Perfect Family

There's a fantasy we all carry in our heads.

Psych Basics

Deception
Lying, Self-Deception, Gullibility

All About Deception

Studies show that the average person lies several times a day. Some of those are biggies: “I’ve been faithful to you.” Others are par for the course: “No, your new dress looks good.” Some forms of deception aren’t exactly lies: comb-overs, nodding when you’re not listening. And then there are lies we tell ourselves, as part of healthy self-esteem maintenance or serious delusions. In the end, it appears that we can’t handle the truth.



Lying

"I Never Lie"

Is honesty a superpower, requiring a very strong will?

Top 10 Secrets of Effective Liars

How to lie and get away with it.

The Truth About Lying

We tell the biggest lies to those we love most.

More Than a White Lie

We all lie now and then, but when does it get out of hand?

Adolescence and the Problem with Truth

Telling parents the truth isn't as simple as it seems.

White Lies Affect Your Behavior

Telling white lies sometimes affects how you act later.

Some Lessons Learned from Lance Armstrong and Others who Lie

Human behavior is always fascinating and complex when it comes to deception.

Encouraging Your Teen To Stop Lying to You

Demanding your child to be honest with you can truthfully backfire.

See Also

Pinocchio, nose, lying

Lie Detection

Human Lie Detector

How to ferret out the liars.

The Truth About Lie Detection

We do it every day, but most of us only do it half right.

Are There Any "Natural" Lie Detectors?

Lie detection: practiced skill? Natural ability? Or both?

Secrets of Special Agents

They're ace mind readers, and the shrewdest among them not only scan the subtleties of human behavior but cultivate special twists all their own. In their hands, the high stakes criminal investigation is not a game of "gotcha" but a slow inquiry into another person's state of mind.

Opportunities to Detect Deception in a Forensic Setting

Lie detection during interviews - how to do it right.

Micro Expressions and A Good Liar

When is a wink a blink do you think?

Protect Yourself from Liars and Deceivers

Refuse to be deceived

The Polygraph Test Strikes – and Strikes Out – Again

The polygraph is an arousal detector, not a lie detector.

Signs Your Partner is Lying

Can you tell if your partner isn't being honest?

Detecting Deception Over the Telephone

Without visual cues, detecting deception is difficult, but not impossible.

See Also

Self-Deception

How We Perceive Self-Deception

Detangling the Knot of Self-Deception

Quitting self-deception and winning back your self.

Do Societies Differ in Their Degree of Self-Deception?

The case of self-inflation and income inequality

How We Perceive Self-Deception

Self-Deception I: Rationalization

Human beings are not rational, but rationalizing animals.

The Toolbox of Self-Deception, Part I

To thine own self be true. But only some of the time.

Essential Secrets of Psychotherapy: Truth, Lies and Self-Deception

None of us are beyond deceiving ourselves.

Five Steps to Optimal Illusion: The Path to Sophisticated Self-Deception

Self-deception: the sweetest and sourest taboo.

Sartre on Bad Faith

In search of authenticity, individuality, and self-realization.

The Essential Guide to Defense Mechanisms

Can you spot your favorite form of self-deception?

See Also

Find a Therapist
Find a nearby professional for face-to-face help

Current Issue

Confessions of a Sociopath

She's successful and charming as well as ruthless and calculating.

Social Life Blogs

  • Acquired Spontaneity

    Thoughts and practices for personal and social transformation
    By Miki Kashtan, Ph.D.
  • Pam Cytrynbaum

    Because I'm the Mom

    How mothering pervades all relationships in life.
    By Pamela Cytrynbaum
  • Carl Alasko

    Beyond Blame

    Freeing yourself from toxic emotional bullsh*t
    By Carl Alasko, Ph.D.
  • Janice Harper, Ph.D.

    Beyond Bullying

    Peace building at work, school, and home
    By Janice Harper, Ph.D.
  • Dr. Geoffrey Greif

    Buddy System

    Understanding men and their friendships.
    By Geoffrey Greif
  • Agustín Fuentes, Ph.D.

    Busting Myths About Human Nature

    Race, monogamy, and other lies they told you.
    By Agustín Fuentes, Ph.D.
  • Michele Ybarra, MPH, Ph.D.

    Connected

    Perspectives on youth and technology
    By Michele Ybarra, MPH, Ph.D.
  • Robin Marantz Henig

    Cusp

    Twentysomethings on the brink of adulthood
    By Robin Marantz Henig