Module 5:Why People Lie

Module 5: Day 1Everyone Lies

Believe it or not, people rarely go a day without telling a lie. And that’s no lie. Today we explore the frequency and nature of lying. You will learn how lies differ from deception and how humans use a theory of mind to deceive.

“You sit on a throne of LIES!!”

Elf, 2003

Module 5: Day 2How Does Deception Evolve?If everyone lied, people wouldn’t bother to listen to one another. And yet we do listen to other people. Today, we explore how deception persists in evolutionarily stable systems of communication. You will learn that deception can occur when the cost of calling a bluff exceeds the benefit of discovering lies. Honest communication evolves when organisms communicate through costly signals that cannot be faked.

Module 5: Day 3No Truth in AdvertisingThey say there’s no such thing as bad press. But advertisers spend countless hours, calories, and dollars on perfecting their message. Today, we explore how deception enhances the way that people advertise, whether they be selling merchandise or selling themselves. You will learn how deception plays a role in attracting mates and securing parental care. You will also learn how people use deception to enhance trade with others—an practice that we have come to call marketing.

Module 5: Day 4How Brains Lie

When you lie, your body shows signs that might be noted by keen observers. Today, we explore the behavioral and physiological changes during lying and ways that people can detect lies. You will learn about methods of lie detection based on psychological profiling, cardiovascular responses, voice analysis, and brain scans.

Module 5: Day 5Self Deception

If you’re like me you’re smarter and better looking than the average person. But of course, neither of us are the best judge of our own qualities. That’s because people tend to believe what we want to believe, whether it’s true or not. Today, we explore the concept of self-deception and see how lying to yourself can be adaptive. You will learn that deceiving yourself and deceiving others involve similar processes.