| dc.description.abstract | Research supports the conclusion that adults/adolescents
employ a verbal-nonverbal consistency principle to determine
whether others are telling the truth as opposed to lying
(Friedman, 1978; DePaulo & Rosenthal, 1979). The
verbal-nonverbal consistency rule specifies that an individual
is perceived as telling the truth, as opposed to lying, when
there is consistency in the affect exhibited between his/her
verbal and nonverbal communication. In the study, kindergarten,
second and fourth grade children were presented a) a set of
specific verbal communications and b) a set of general verbal
communications. After each verbal communication they were asked
to indicate what facial expression the speaker would show if
he/she was telling the truth and lying. It was found that use
of the verbal -nonverbal consistency principle increased as a
function of age. Fourth grade children showed the
verbal-nonverbal consistency principle for both specific and
general verbal communications by selecting facial expressions
that matched the valence of the verbal communication for telling
the truth and the facial expressions that do not match the
valence of the verbal communication for lying. | |
