Kids With Good Memories May Be Better Liars: Study
New research from the University of Sheffield has found that children with good verbal memory skills tend to be better at covering up their lies.
Researchers analyzed the verbal deception skills of children between the ages of six and seven by prompting entrapment questions after they had been caught on hidden camera sneaking peeks at trivia game answers.
Good liars responded with lies during both entrapment question responses, while bad liars lied once or not at all. The research, which was published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, found that kids who were considered good liars yielded better results in verbal memory tests for both processing and recall than bad liars.
By having a stronger verbal memory, it's easier for children to keep track of more information and stick with their story, whether or not it's actually true.
"While parents are usually not too proud when their kids lie, they can at least be pleased to discover that when their children are lying well, it means their children are becoming better at thinking and have good memory skills," said Elena Hoicka, M.D., from the University of Sheffield's Department of Psychology in a press release.
That's certainly a positive way to look at it!
Related: The Truth About Lying
Caitlin St John is an Editorial Assistant for Parents.com who splits her time between New York City and her hometown on Long Island. Follow her on Twitter: @CAITYstjohn
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