They may not have taken their first step or said their first word yet, but some babies have already grasped the basics of deception before they turn one, according to research.
The study, based on interviews with 750 parents, suggested that by 10 months about a quarter of children were practicing some rudimentary form of deception, such as pretending not to hear their parents, hiding toys or eating forbidden foods out of sight. By age three, children were more competent, creative, and manufactured more frequently, according to parents’ responses.
“It was fascinating to discover how children’s understanding and use of deception evolves from a surprisingly early age and develops in their early years,” said Elena Hoicka, professor of education at the University of Bristol and lead author of the research.
Until now, Hoicka said, little research had been done on early forms of deceptive behavior. “Previous research has often focused on deception as something very sophisticated that requires strong linguistic skills and an advanced understanding of the minds of others,” Hoicka said.
The latest research was based on studies of animal behavior, which have documented apparent deception without the need for verbal communication. Chimpanzees, for example, often hide to eat out of sight of more dominant members of the group, while birds have been documented making false alarm calls to steal food.
“It’s not that the ability to deceive appears out of nowhere at three or four years old,” Hoicka says. “The above ways are not necessarily complete deception. It’s probably more about getting your way or getting additional prizes.”
“As a mother of three children, I can certainly attest to how resourceful and clever they can be,” she added. “Their usual tactic is to hide under the table or in the bathroom to eat candy or chocolate.”
Researchers asked parents of more than 750 children aged 0 to 47 months from the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and Canada a series of questions about their children’s deceptive development.
Some respondents reported that their children first recognized the concept when they were as young as eight months old. Deception activity was also found to be frequent. Once your child started, the study showed that half of the children reported as cheaters had done something sneaky in the last day.
Beginning at age two, deception tends to be action-based or requires only basic verbal responses, such as pretending not to hear their parents say “it’s time to tidy up,” hiding things from others, or denial, such as eating chocolate but shaking their head “no” when asked if they ate chocolate.
The findings showed that by the age of three, children begin to understand and engage in more types of deception, often involving a deeper understanding of language and how other people’s minds work.
Hoicka said, “This could mean exaggeration, understatement, or even complete fabrication, such as telling a lie like ‘a ghost ate the chocolate.’ They also begin to withhold information, for example, accurately telling their parents that their brother hit them, while omitting the fact that they hit their brother first.”
He said the study should reassure parents and educators that deception is developmentally normal in young children and provide guidance on what types of deception might be expected, so they can “stay one step ahead of their deception.”
Professor Jennifer Saul, an expert in the philosophy of deception at the University of Waterloo, Canada, and co-author of the research, said: “Philosophers have long reflected on the morality of human deception, but they have always focused on adults who deceive each other. This study shows how much complexity is overlooked in that approach.”
The findings are published in the journal Cognitive Development.
