![]() ![]() (It therefore makes sense that with our giant brains, humans are veritable founts of hogwash.) The faculties of memory and abstraction needed to mince language and appearance so as to deceive require a lot of brainpower, researchers have learned. Researchers have discovered that the more conniving a primate species, the bigger its brain. Chimpanzees for example will purposefully mislead troop members away from a tasty food source and then return later to gobble it solo. In our closest primate relatives, who also have sophisticated social structures in which they live, deception is rife. To an extent, it would seem then that humans are wired to trick their fellows. "Areas of the prefrontal cortex that should light up don’t in fMRI." "In Asperger's,that area is dysfunctional," said Attwood. In Asperger's patients and autistics, there is less activity in parts of the " social brain," such as the prefrontal cortex. More positively, this trait makes it tough to construct deceitful ruses, and those with Asperger's who do learn how to lie often do so badly, said Attwood.īrain scans using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have revealed a basis for this deficit. "Theory of mind is determining what others are thinking, feeling or believe," said Attwood.Īsperger's patients tend to have a poorly developed theory of mind, which presents them with great difficulty in empathizing with others. ![]() Key to proper socialization and its subtleties is " theory of mind," the ability to attribute mental states to other individuals. Sheldon Cooper on "The Big Bang Theory.") Attwood noted that these individuals have an "allegiance to the truth, rather than people's feelings." (A well-known television character who manifests much of the behavioral profile of someone with Asperger's is Dr. "They often think other people are as honest as they are, which leaves them vulnerable and gullible," said Attwoord.Īsperger's is characterized by impairment in social interactions and restricted interests. To boot, people with Asperger's have trouble detecting falsity in words and actions. Patients have expressed to Attwood puzzlement at why ordinary people lie with such frequency. While acting in this manner makes no sense to most of us, it is essentially impossible for people with Asperger's. "What's clear," Dike said, "is that it's not uncommon." "The next day, there is some new story," said Dike.Īnecdotally, many of us will recognize this sort of behavior, though at present there are no good statistics for the prevalence of pathological lying. As the day goes on and the coworker remains in the office, he adds to the lie by announcing that the flight was cancelled. The co-worker is not trying to shirk a meeting, however. "Not only is there no benefit to the lies, but the lies most of the time are easily disprovable," said Dike.ĭike offers an example of a coworker declaring he has a flight later that day. Stranger still, the lies can be blatantly see-through in their bogusness. Dropping flagrant whoppers can cause trouble in jobs, relationships and even with the law through self-incriminations. ![]() What puzzles most about a pathological liar's behavior, Dike said, is that it is counterproductive. In psychiatric circles, pathological lying goes by the fancy name pseudologia fantastica, though it is not yet recognized as a distinct disorder. "If you define lying as 'statements intended to deceive,' then yes we all do lie, every day," said Dike. These contrasting extremes can help us learn about the default human mode of lying on a daily basis to avoid insult, get out of trouble or exploit others. Psychology and neuroscience have provided clues as to why some people lie up a storm while others have difficulty dissembling or detecting it in others. "People with Asperger's have a tendency to be very blunt and direct - they can be honest to a fault," said Tony Attwood, professor of psychology at Minds & Hearts, an Asperger's and autism clinic in Brisbane, Australia ![]() Intriguingly, this "lying handicap" is a common feature of the developmental disorder high-functioning autism and Asperger's Syndrome. ![]()
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