As a child, we all read a book about Pinocchio and many other fairy tales that convinced us that lying is bad. Having lied, especially impressionable ones looked in the mirror at their nose - hasn't it grown?
An interesting study was carried out by scientists from University College London. The conclusions turned out to be ambiguous:
If a person lies to himself for his good, then, if such a need arises a second time, the lie will be more extensive and colorful. And experts explain this by the physiological characteristics of our brain.
So what was this research on liars organized?
The experts selected a group of volunteers. Each of them was shown a photograph of a glass jar filled with coins. The subjects' task was to guess how much is in it? The volunteers worked in pairs. The first one evaluated the content and, through the computer, transmitted its version to the experience partner. That, in turn, focusing on the assessment of his friend, had to make the final decision and name the amount.
Promotional video:
And what does this all have to do with lying?
The fact is that the experts examined only the brain of the first person working in pairs. That is, the one who gave the initial estimate of the amount. The experimental conditions were changed at several stages.
In the first one, people were told that the more accurate the answer, the higher the score he and his experiment partner would get. In the next part of testing, the conditions were changed: experts said that an overestimated amount would be more profitable for the person being tested, then that an overestimated or underestimated amount would be beneficial to both of them.
With each new stage of this experiment, the difference between the real amount and the one called by the participants in the experiment increased. That is, the scale of deception is profitable for the personal, it grew.
How does the scheme of lies work from the point of view of neuropsychologists?
In the course of the study, scientists noticed that at the moment when the experiment participant told a lie for the first time, there was an increased activity of the amygdala of the brain. This site controls our emotions. But, the more a person lied in the further course of the experiment, the less activity was shown in this part of the brain.
So, it turns out that over time, the emotional response to deceitful behavior dulls. That is, a person ceases to experience inconvenience and remorse if he has to lie often enough.
The brain is responsible for the state of inner comfort and does everything so that we can achieve it. It is precisely with this that with each of our new lies, negative emotions from our own behavior become less and less pronounced.
In addition, the frequency and extent of lying can be influenced by factors such as confidence in your own impunity, the encouragement of lying, or the positive reactions of others.
