Are Lying Kids More Intelligent?
It probably should come as no surprise but kids with good memories are better liars. Or, as some people think, more intelligent. Say what? Turns out the higher a child’s verbal working memory -- the ability to process information -- the better their ability to process the verbal information necessary to tell a believable lie. Verbal working memory contributes to complex social interactions, like lying, because children need to juggle multiple pieces of information while keeping the lie in mind. Sadly, my son is a good liar. He doesn't do it often but he's so good at it, I don't usually know he's doing it. Maybe it's because I trust him (too much?). I have to admit, I have a good kid. So when he does something wrong, I don't always see it. It started out small in elementary school, where we'd ask if he had homework, he would say no, and then we'd find out (in fifth grade) that he never turned in a final paper. Actually, now that I think ...