The Concept of Lie and How to Modify It in Students
by Lying is making untrue statements with the intention to deceive. It is giving an erroneous or misleading impression. It is also a person’s way of explaining things in a negative way. Lying is the act of making false statements and the saying of things that are not true with the intention of deceiving. This is an indication that lie is deceitful and aims at misleading or covering up as in defense mechanism experiences. Lying can also be defined as an intentional attempt to deceive or create false impression. It aims at misconception, misinformation and misdirection.
Durand and Barlow (2000) opined that cognitive therapy is a treatment approach that involves identifying and altering negative thinking styles related to psychological disorders and replacing them with more positive beliefs and attitudes. Consequently, more adaptive and coping styles are developed. Cognitive restructuring is therefore used to change negative or wrong thoughts to positive ones. Nwosu (2007) defined cognitive restructuring as the application of scientific methods to change maladaptive cognitions or better help individuals to adopt more rational or constructive ways of thinking and evaluating environmental stimuli. In cognitive restructuring, the clients are taught and they learn short summary statements that they can use to stay focused and rational in situations that can cause and provoke anxiety and their maladaptive functioning. Cognitive restructuring involves identifying and reframing maladaptive thoughts. It involves questioning thoughts and reframing them if they are irrational or maladaptive.
The aim of cognitive restructuring is to help individuals become “architects” of their own thoughts. To question the validity of thoughts and examine whether they are helpful or harmful. Cognitive behavior approach focuses on how problematic beliefs and behaviors play a role in the development of psychological difficulties and especially in the maintenance of these difficulties over time. Treatment is to change these problematic beliefs and behaviors. Parents and teachers can also use cognitive approach to modify lying in students. The first step is to let the student realize that such behavior is abnormal and harmful. The second stage is stage of cognitive restructuring. The aim of the teacher in the second stage is to teach the student how to use affirmative words to stay focused in a situation that can provoke the irrational behavior.
The aim of successful therapy is to teach clients the skills to become their own therapists. In cognitive therapy, the goal is to orient the client to cognitive behavior approach to understanding and treating a particular problem. According to Foreyt and Rathjen (1998), the therapeutic method in cognitive restructuring involves verbal conviction of the need for being rational, identification of irrational thoughts through clients’ self monitoring and therapist’s feedback. According to Foreyt and Rathjen (1998), the therapist challenges irrational ideas and models rational re-interpretations of disturbing events by repeated cognitive rehearsal aimed at substituting rational self-statements for previously irrational interpretations. Counselor, psychologist, teacher and parents can use cognitive restructuring as an effective strategy to reduce the negative tendencies among students.
REFERENCES
American Community Correction Institution “ACCI” (2003). Life skills curriculum using cognitive therapy. Retrieved November 13, 2007, from http://www.acci lifeskills.com/ cognitiverestructuring.php
Anagbogu, M.A. (2002). Guidance and counseling in primary schools; teachers’ handbook. Awka: Mercury Bright.
Axelrod, S. (1983). Behavior modification for the classroom teacher. New York: McGraw – Hill.
Burgoon and Buller (1994). Interpersonal deception theory. Retrieved May 15, 2008, from http:// changingminds.org/explanations/theories/interperso naldeception.htm.
Davidoff, L.L. (1987). Introduction to psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Durand, U.M. & Barlow, D.H. (2000). Abnormal psychology: An introduction London. Wadsworth.
Ekman, P. (1996). Why People Lie. Retrieved November 13, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/pual_ekman.
Ellis, A. (1962). The reason and emotion in Psychotherapy. New York: Lyle Stuarts.
Foreyt, J.P. and Rathjen, D.P. (1978). Cognitive behaviour Therapy. New York: Plenum.
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