* f+ e$ |, P H+ L) [6 o6 m2 i- n 心理学家雷迪表示装哭是最早的的诡计之一,「他们哭时会稍作停顿,听听妈妈有没有反应。这显示他们明显知道所做的可产生某些效果,这跟成人撒谎时的心理一样,但成人会有道德顾虑。」她表示,这些简单的诡计令他们知道何种谎话能奏效之余,也明白撒谎过度的恶果。 ; n* t4 a( k/ x
' Z- f2 E& b2 ?: JBabies not as innocent as they pretend 4 ~1 N! x8 B, ~+ C$ ^9 d2 j7 c% P. V; U0 j
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Whether lying about raiding the biscuit tin or denying they broke a toy, all children try to mislead their parents at some time. Yet it now appears that babies learn to deceive from a far younger age than anyone previously suspected. ! b1 b* e" ]& d% A# S' B, X 5 O: T5 `: o# f9 mBehavioural experts have found that infants begin to lie from as young as six months. Simple fibs help to train them for more complex deceptions in later life. : R( c8 |1 Q/ Z' h/ F. E , h+ [/ X6 j1 \+ b% r- Q7 CUntil now, psychologists had thought the developing brains were not capable of the difficult art of lying until four years old.* j8 {: _, Y. u+ k
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Following studies of more than 50 children and interviews with parents, Dr Vasudevi Reddy, of the University of Portsmouth's psychology department, says she has identified seven categories of deception used between six months and three-years-old. a H# S% B' t& [ 5 H8 C* h" R! l# m: {6 EInfants quickly learnt that using tactics such as fake crying and pretend laughing could win them attention. By eight months, more difficult deceptions became apparent, such as concealing forbidden activities or trying to distract parents' attention. : m# f' A. q; ?/ k2 ?. @( M1 Y$ w, o: o 0 ~; Q6 A# N3 X- U. [0 `6 r& K- MBy the age of two, toddlers could use far more devious techniques, such as bluffing when threatened with a punishment. * V2 y8 d( p9 C; p. g" f6 j ! q# X& r* y7 } KDr Reddy said: "Fake crying is one of the earliest forms of deception to emerge, and infants use it to get attention even though nothing is wrong. You can tell, as they will then pause while they wait to hear if their mother is responding, before crying again.7 ]9 G9 g1 E T+ @/ v% f; B
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"It demonstrates they're clearly able to distinguish that what they are doing will have an effect. This is essentially all adults do when they tell lies, except in adults it becomes more morally loaded." 8 P4 {; r6 u* t( k5 K 2 h: H- _9 G5 \6 v7 r" ^8 u8 l9 R- CShe added: "Later it becomes more sophisticated by saying, 'I don't care' when threatened with a punishment - when they clearly do.", b2 D' [4 |, }- ^- L
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Dr Reddy thinks children use early fibs to discover what kinds of lie work in certain situations, and also learn the negative consequences of lying too much.