Differences in daily lie-telling patterns from adolescence to older adulthood

The current study cross-sectionally examined daily lie-telling patterns of adolescents, young adults, middle adults, and older adults. Participants (N = 298; Mage = 37.30, SD = 22.51, range = 13-86; 30.5% males) were alerted to complete surveys three times daily about their lie-telling behaviors, including the frequency, the type (self-oriented, other-oriented, or to conform), and the topic of lies told. The frequency of lie-telling was found to significantly differ across age groups suggesting a decrease in lying with age. When examining the types of lies, adolescents and young adults told more self-oriented lies compared to older adults, but no age differences were found for other-oriented lies or lies to conform. The topic of the lie was also found to vary by age, suggesting that age-relevant social goals and contexts may influence lie-telling patterns. Results provide the first comprehensive account of daily lie-telling across adolescence and adulthood.