German scientists found that men lie more often than women. The phenomenon was identified through a comprehensive assessment of 565 studies. The results also show that the tendency to lie depends on the person’s age.
How often do men lie than women?
Honesty plays a central role in the social and economic life of people. It is estimated that 5% of global gross domestic product is tax evasion.
A lack of honesty can trigger global economic crises or damage the reputation of companies. Honesty is part of the value system of all world religions. Despite this importance, the biological foundations of honesty are poorly understood.
Researchers suggest that several brain centers play an important role. These include tonsils, which can save timid people from lies. Nevertheless, the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may be the highest authority for moral doubt. Decision-making processes take place in this area of the brain.
A previous study showed that this area shows increased activity in people who have passed moral testing.
42% of all men and 38% of all women lied in the studied experiments. The assumption that men lie more often than women has been confirmed, even if the difference is small.
Young people lie more often than older people. Although the likelihood of someone lying is around 47% for a 20-year-old, 36% for a 60-year-old.
What experiment did scientists do?
Researchers have not found evidence that economics students allegedly lie most often. For scientific analysis, psychology and economics studies were used, using a variety of experiments, such as a coin throwing game.
Participants throw a coin and enter the result using the computer keys. When the eagle falls, they get money, when the numbers fall, nothing.
Almost all studies show that men often lie to get more money.
Although there are numerous studies that reveal who and when are lying, the results are not clear.
Sometimes they are even contradictory. A survey study made more accurate statements about at least some factors.
Brain Stimulation Boosts Honesty for Men?
Stimulation of the current through the electrodes on the skull increases the number of honest answers in men. According to the study, impulses had no effect on pathological or dishonest liars.
In 2018, a team of British scientists conducted an experiment to determine whether brain stimulation affects honesty, and test subjects were given dice that they could throw 10 times.
The results had to be printed on a computer. If 1, 4 or 6 is dropped, this means a profit of 9 francs. Participants could win a maximum of 90 francs with 10 correct answers. The random probability is 50%.
Since no one was following the participants, they could cheat with impunity. As a result, people entered 68% of the correct answers. 8.5% of participants said they entered the correct numbers all 10 times. According to scientists, these were pathological liars who wanted to have all 90 francs.
In the second round, brain stimulation was performed. The number of correct answers decreased to 58% in the general group.
The participants actually became a little more honest. The proportion of participants who were not "impressed" by electrical pulses scored the correct number 10 times.
A survey of participants showed that especially participants with low moral standards were cheating in the game. If a person had moral principles, stimulation improved honesty. In this group, the number of victories was close to a random probability of 50%.
Research confirms that brain stimulation is essential for honesty. In light of the results, the question arises as to whether honesty is based on biological predisposition.
If so, then chronic liars may rely on reduced guilt or lenient sentences in the future. Neurologists may, in turn, have new methods of treating "lies" in men and women.
