We obviously don’t want our kids lying to us or lying at school. However, there are some benefits to lying. Kids who are good liars can keep their story straight and keep track of the lies they’ve told. According to a recent study out of the University of North Florida, these kids show strong thought and memory skills.
The study observed 135 kids between the ages of 6 and 7 years old. They allowed the kids to sneak a look at the answers of a trivia game. The researchers left the room and told the kids not to look at the answers. However, many did look at the answers. The researchers found that the ones who looked at the answers and later denied it did better on a memory test. Those who told the truth did not do as well. The lying children had to use thinking skills to maintain their story and not lose the game.
“We already know that adults lie in approximately a fifth of their social exchanges lasting 10 or more minutes, so it’s interesting to know why some children are able to tell better lies than others, said Dr. Elena Hoika, a professor of psychology at the University of Sheffield. “This is the first time it has been shown that verbal working memory in particular has strong links to lying, not just any working memory…Parents may sometimes become frustrated when their child lies about sticking their hand in a cookie jar, but we can take heart that the more believable the explanation for the crumbs around their mouth, the more intelligent they are.”
