BALD-FACED LIES! LYING WITHOUT THE INTENT TO DECEIVE

Abstract:  Surprisingly, the fact that the speaker is lying is sometimes common knowledge between everyone involved (the addressee, the general audience, bystanders, etc.). Strangely, we condemn these bald-faced lies more severely than disguised lies. The wrongness of lying springs from the intent to deceive – just the feature missing in the case of bald-faced lies. These puzzling lies arise systematically when assertions are forced. Intellectual duress helps to explain another type of non-deceptive false assertion: lying to yourself. In the end, I conclude that the apparent intensity of our disapproval of non-deceptive lies is a rhetorical illusion.     

Communication With Older Adults The Influence of Age Stereotypes,Context, and Communicator Age

Forty young, 40 middle-aged, and 40 older adults rated their beliefs about the vocal style that they would use in addressing two older targets—one fitting a negative (Despondent) and one a positive (Golden Ager) stereotype. Participants also gave oral messages to the two targets in either a hospital or community context. Supporting a stereotype-sensitive model of the communication and aging process, participants' beliefs and messages revealed a greater tendency to use patronizing talk with the Despondent target than with the Golden Ager. In addition, the extent and type of patronizing talk (overly nurturing or directive) to the targets was affected by the context in which the target was presented and the age of the communicator. In particular, the number of directive/patronizing messages to Golden Ager targets increased significantly in the hospital context. Finally, older participants were less likely to give patronizing messages to all targets than were younger participants.     

PREPARED LIES,SPONTANEOUS LIES,MACHIAVELLIANISM, AND NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

This study investigated cue leakage during deception of factual information for both prepared and spontaneous types of lies. Liars anticipating lying engaged in less postural shifting and shorter latencies than truth tellers prior to lying. During a prepared lie, liars engaged in shorter latencies, shorter message durations, more affirmative head nodding, less smiling, and more body adaptors than truth tellers did. During a spontaneous lie, liars engaged in more body adaptors than truth tellers. No substantive differences were obtained between truth tellers and liars after the lying behavior was completed. Cues were not leaked differently by high and low Machiavellians.     

Therapists Ratings of Fundamentalist and Nonfundamentalist Families in Therapy: An Empirical Comparison

Using the Family Health Scale, Part I of an instrument developed for this study, two randomly selected groups of certified family therapists rated either nonfundamentalist or fundamentalist families in therapy on eight recognized indicators of family health. Factor analysis yielded eight factors accounting for 66% of the variance between groups. Cannonical discriminant function analysis revealed that therapists rated fundamentalist families as significantly less healthy on three of the eight factors and more healthy on one factor. Part II of this instrument, the Religion Impact Scale assessed the effects of church community and church teachings upon families. For fundamentalists, the church and concomitant belief system had a significant impact upon family organization and functioning. Theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.     

The Families of Drug Abusers: A Literature Review

This paper reveiws all relevant literature concerning the family background of compulsive drug abusers. The main content of the completed research is summarized and methodological criticisms are made. Future considerations for research on families of drug abusers are suggested.