Deception is a common behavior displayed amongst individuals of varying age groups. It may take the humblest form of agreeing with a person’s opinion, whereas, we may not agree (e.g., saying we like the color of a dress when we do not) or other forms such as lying about an intense transgression. Deception is also directed toward ourselves (e.g., as to deny what we are feeling, when we really do feel this way). This action is observed in all age groups, however, researchers questioned how old a child must be in order to be able to deceive others and how well are children likely to succeed in deception. The present study findings proposed that a punitive environment not only raises dishonesty in young children, but also their abilities …show more content…
Some researchers suggested exposure to harsh disciplinary style may be associated with the development of antisocial deception, as children tend to avoid severe punishments for their minor impulse-driven transgressions (source). The textbook explains that authoritarian parenting sets strict rules for their children’s behavior and sometimes uses corporal punishment when rules are broken (source). Likewise, these parents may also violate and manipulate children’s feelings, thoughts, and attachments to …show more content…
In this method, the experimenter first introduces a toy into the scene without letting the children see it and then asks them not to peek at the toy. I feel that it is a very tempting situation as toys form the central part of the toddler’s life and the excitement and anticipation created in children may alter the results of the study. Thus, the study may be more reflective of the curious nature of children and the inability to resist temptation than their intention to break a rule or deceive the experimenter by lying. Another interesting observation was to note the percentage of children who peeked at the toy. Since, 80% of all children peeked at the toy, it might be attributed to the natural curiosity is inherent in children. Therefore, most children would peek at the toy regardless of how many of them go on to lie about their peeking