ABSTRACT
During mediations the mediator should watch for the various forms of deception that surround negotiations. These include concealing the willingness to settle and the actual amount of money wanted, making inflated demands, exaggerating strengths and weaknesses, concealing true intentions, claiming a lack of authority, and failing to volunteer relevant facts. There are those who argue that deception is part of the human condition and it would be a mistake to dismiss it as improper, particularly in an informal mediation setting involving 'hard' negotiation. Interpersonal Deception Theory attempts to explain the manner in which individuals deal with actual or perceived deception on the conscious and subconscious levels while engaged in face-to-face communication. Since truth-telling is considered preferable to telling lies, most people are not well-practiced liars and, as such, will need to work hard to control the undesirable feelings associated with deceiving another.
