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Lying Is More Common When We Email

Posted by Soulskill on from the check-is-in-the-mail dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A new study by University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers finds that using computers for instant messaging and e-mail increases lying compared to face-to-face conversations, and that e-mail messages are most likely to contain lies. At its heart, the difference is about deindividualization, where as people grow psychologically and physically further from the person they're communicating with, the likelihood of lying goes up."

9 of 123 comments (clear)

  1. No shit. by CapnStank · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Haven't we already learned this from such "discussion mediums" as the Slashdot comment section? Its easier to lie when you don't have to cover your body language, quivers in voice or other "give aways".

    1. Re:No shit. by Jeng · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's also easier to "lie" when you can carefully construct the "truth" which is much easier when writing it out vs doing it to someones face.

      --
      Don't know something? Look it up. Still don't know? Then ask.
    2. Re:No shit. by Jeng · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I've never considered myself good at lying so I do tend to steer away from it, but people can get conflicting information from me anyway.

      Someone asks me a question face to face and they want a simple answer for a complex problem I'll generalize an answer that might be technically correct, while in email I can sit there and lay out all points of the issue and put out a much better answer that might conflict with the shorter answer I gave earlier.

      Which one is the lie?

      --
      Don't know something? Look it up. Still don't know? Then ask.
    3. Re:No shit. by tomhudson · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The problem is that the people who think they're good liars are lying to themselves. So when called out on a lie, they don't understand how YOU can DARE have the UNMITIGATED GALL to imply that they're lying - even when you catch them red-handed!

      They know they're lying, but THE FORCE (of of being able to ignore cognitive dissonance) IS STRONG with them.

      And of course, they're so used to lying that they expect everyone else to.

  2. They obviously do not work in a regulated industry by dave562 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    When we need to lie, we pick up the phone. Emails are logged and archived.

    I'm mostly kidding. I'm in IT. I do not need to lie. The sales staff on the other hand seems to make a living over promising things to clients.

  3. Hard to believe by LoudMusic · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Either the research is flawed, or the people they studied are going to fail miserably in the "real world".

    I find myself stretching the truth, or dodging accurate answers, when speaking in person far more often than I do in text. With text there is a document recorded for all time which can be referenced at any time. If it's not correct it's going to destroy you. If you say something untrue it's possible to wiggle out by claiming you were misunderstood or misheard.

    Typically there is more time to build accurate and honest replies in text than there is in verbal communication. When you're speaking with someone they expect the reply RIGHT THEN, so you make some shit up to cover your ass. If you have more time you can formulate a true(er) response, or build truth prior to making your reply.

    Spoken:
    "Hey babe, did you take out the trash?"
    "Uh, yep."
    The hell you did. And now you have to get the trash out before she finds out.

    Text:
    "Hey babe, did you take out the trash?"
    Take out the trash.
    "Yep. At the curb."

    No deceit. Just delay of truth due to available features of the means of communication.

    --
    No sig for you. YOU GET NO SIG!
    1. Re:Hard to believe by dkleinsc · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Spoken:
      "Hey babe, did you take out the trash?"
      "Uh, yep."
      The hell you did. And now you have to get the trash out before she finds out.

      See, I must be one of those people who knows that it's probably better to answer the spoken question with "Nope, thanks for reminding me, I'll get right on it." That's something about actually respecting and liking the person calling me "babe", and knowing she wouldn't be asking the question if she didn't have a legitimate reason for it.

      But then again, I'm just honest. Honestly, it's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly ... stupid.

      --
      I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
  4. Re:No way buddy. by Smallpond · · Score: 3, Insightful

    In fact, this statement is a lie.

  5. Re:No way buddy. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Anonymous coward posts really are hit or miss. You can make arguments for "courage of your convictions", but I actually find more honest, dissenting opinions in the anon posts than proper ones. Named posts are almost always "safe" posts. And so, I'm glad we've got an AC option.

    Unfortunately, AC posts are also where you find the trashy, hateful, racist sludge as well.