1-050 - Development of Lying in Children with Externalizing Problems: Cognitive and Social Correlates

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Lying is normative, begins at an early age, can be antisocial or prosocial, and is typically not a cause for major concern. However, in a subset of children, lie-telling can become problematic, especially when frequent, chronic, and used for antisocial purposes. Past research has shown that typically-developing children’s lie-telling is related to both cognitive and social factors. Yet, it is not understood what mechanisms underpin the different developmental trajectories of lying and are related to both its adaptive and maladaptive manifestations. The present symposium brings together four studies from multiple laboratories on lying among children with and without externalizing problems. The first paper explored different types and frequencies of lies told by children as observed by their parents. The next three papers examined children’s lie-telling in experimental paradigms. The second paper investigated the relation between children’s moral evaluations of lie-telling and their lies for personal gain. The third paper examined antisocial lies (for concealment and personal gain) among children diagnosed with a Disruptive Behavior Disorder. The fourth paper investigated children’s antisocial and prosocial lie-telling and its relation to theory of mind and executive functioning. The present symposium takes a new approach to studying the development of deception by examining atypical development in children with externalizing problems, a population who may use lying as a strategy to maintain their antisocial behavior. It provides a forum for researchers to discuss theoretical and practical issues related to lie-telling, individual differences, and cognitive and social factors that may contribute to these differences.

Sub Unit

• Developmental Psychopathology

Chairs

• Lindsay C Malloy, Florida International University

• Victoria Talwar, McGill University

Individual Presentations

• It Wasn’t Me! Children’s Externalizing Behavior and Lie-Telling - Presenting Author: Jennifer Lavoie, McGill University; Cindy M Arruda, McGill University; Karissa Leduc, McGill University; Victoria Talwar, McGill University

• Lying for Personal Gain in Boys with Externalizing Problems and their Moral Evaluations of Lies - Presenting Author: Cindy M Arruda, McGill University; Carlos Gomez-Garibello, McGill University; Victoria Talwar, McGill University

• Lying for Concealment or Gain: Antisocial Lie-Telling among Children with Disruptive Behavior Disorders - Presenting Author: Allison Mugno, Florida International University; Lindsay C Malloy, Florida International University; Victoria Talwar, McGill University; Daniel Waschbusch, Penn State

• Deception in Children With and Without Severe Conduct Problems - Presenting Author: Sarah Zanette, OISE/University of Toronto; Leena K. Augimeri, Child Development Institute; University of Toronto; Margaret Walsh, Child Development Institute; Kang Lee, University of Toronto