Theories About How People Tell Lies
by There are theories that help psychologists to dictate when people are lying. Psychologically, when people are lying certain features will be notice in their behavior although many have argued that the theories are not all dependable that certain behaviors can be inherent in individual make up. But all the same the theories have been used by psychologist to detect negative attitudinal behavior.
Another theory called behavioral theory is propounded by J.B Watson. J.B. Watson, the “father” of behaviorism opined that all behavior and behavioral change stem from learning through classical conditioning. Marx and Heimberg, (2005), opined that there are three major factors in classical conditioning. They are the unconditioned stimulus and response, the conditioned stimulus and the conditioned response. The unconditioned stimulus is any stimulus that is capable of producing a reflexive response.
Another of the theory called cognitive theory is concerned with the mind. According to Ledley, Marx & Heimberg, 2005, thoughts are important because they are intervening variables between stimulus and response. The theory and its associated therapy were developed by Beck in 1960s. Ledley, Marx and Heimberg, (2005), opined that it has since been applied to general problems of daily living. The cognitive theory states that distorted or dysfunctional thinking underlies all psychological disturbances. It also affects mood and behavior. The key idea of the theory is that it is not events themselves that affect our behavior but rather how we perceive events. Cognitive theory is concerned with the central core beliefs. The beliefs about oneself, other people and the world form from childhood based on the experiences that we have as we are growing up. Core beliefs are understandings that are so fundamental and deep that the person regards them as “absolute truths”. They are global and apply to situations in general. The core belief is different from automatic thought which is described as the actual words or images that go through a person’s mind. Automatic thoughts are situation – specific. Between core beliefs and automatic thoughts are “attitudes”, rules, principles and assumptions (Ledley, Marx & Heimberg, 2005). The cognitive model posits that when people find themselves in tight situations, automatic thoughts are activated. These are directly influenced by their core beliefs and intermediate beliefs. Automatic thoughts then influence our reactions to these situations. It is because our fundamental beliefs impact our thought in any given situation, that different people have different reactions to the same situations. How this theory does apply to lying? When a person is lying, his automatic thought still reveals the hidden truth.
The last of the theory is called cognitive behavioral theory. This theory incorporates the cognitive and the behavioral approaches in understanding human behavior. The behavioral theory focuses on observable, measurable behavior and on the interaction of the environment. The cognitive theory on the other hand focuses on cognitions and the role of the mind (unobservable behaviors) as determinants of feelings and behavior. Cognitive behavioral theory involves both cognitive and behavioral approach to treatment. Ledley, Marx and Heimberg, (2005), opined that it would be overly simplistic to think that cognitive techniques only target cognitions and behavioral techniques target only behaviors. Change in one of these systems undoubtedly results in change in the other systems.
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