ABSTRACT
To enhance the quality and survivability of a social system, societies generate rules of conduct that further the interests of the members and that inhibit disruptive, exploitative, and nonsupportive actions (Shimanoff, 1980). Unfortunately, individuals’ behaviors do not always conform to such codes. For example, although social systems typically condemn telling lies, lying appears to be relatively common, with individuals reporting that they tell one or two falsehoods each day (DePaulo, Kashy, Kirkendol, Wyer, & Epstein, 1996). Moreover, more than 70% of those who have told a lie report that if given a chance to do it over again, they would still choose to deceive (DePaulo et al., 1996). Even though deception can be detected and when discovered can have negative consequences (McCornack & Levine, 1990), individuals often do not regard their lies as serious, engage in very little planning prior to lying, and do not expect to get caught (DePaulo et al., 1996).
