December 22, 2011
People are more likely to lie via text as opposed to face-to-face communications or conversations over the phone, according to an upcoming paper in the Journal of Business Ethics
The Los Angeles Times reports that in a study of 140 students who were paired into either 'stockbroker' or 'buyer' roles for a stock brokering simulation game, which used various forms of communication, students were most likely to lie about the quality of the stock if they conducted the buy/sell conversation via text message.
They were most likely to be honest if the conversation happened via video, which beat out both face-to-face communication and audio chat.
Choosing to lie via text makes instinctive sense, say researchers, because people don't give away tell-tale cues such as stuttering, nervously darting eyes or blinking (see below video for how to spot a liar).
Interestingly, researchers found that buyers were much angrier if they had been lied to via text than if they had been lied to in a face-to-face conversation.
"What we speculated was going on is there is some instant rapport-building, and some quick trust that happens when you talk to someone face to face, and it acts as a buffer and an inoculation - almost like a vaccine - against negative reactions," said Ronald Cenfetelli, a professor at the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia, who co-authored the paper.
"People are still angry or upset if they are lied to face to face, but when they are lied to in the leaner communications, they are more angry."
With that said, next time you're running late for a dinner date and considering texting the old faithful "I'm almost there" when you are actually 20 minutes away, perhaps you should make a call instead, as when you do eventually rock up late and smelling of some other woman, she may be mad, but according to this research, she will at least be less mad.
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