别给婴儿天真无邪的眼神骗倒，英国心理学家发现6个月大的婴儿已经懂得使出小诡计，装哭扮笑引人注意，这跟大人撒谎的心理一样。0 x; ^' \$ o3 x5 M K# o
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心理学家一直相信，因脑部尚在发育，孩子要到4岁才懂得撒谎，但英国朴次茅斯大学一项研究却推翻这个说法。心理学家以50名小孩作研究对象，并访问他们的父母，结果发现6个月大的婴儿已懂得使诈，如装哭扮笑来吸引注意力，到8个月时诡计更趋复杂，如学会掩饰不当行为或使出方法分散父母注意力。到两岁时，当被父母要胁惩罚时，他们更懂得虚张声势，装作不怕。 * X1 w; _2 n' `0 V, h. u! I2 U0 {1 `' d8 z% p( Y2 A' I1 R
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。 - s/ r! C0 c7 v1 `- n) d; K. i- R. {( X) z9 p: ?2 a- x7 J
Babies not as innocent as they pretend 8 ~. n' J! s2 @- i
( W% l J6 h. k h7 \: RWhether 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. @3 ^8 U" i9 g6 K. _; @ 2 S1 N( b) K- rBehavioural 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.1 _8 X- N, ]5 q7 f* ?
6 v) M2 A g% x9 k( j& I( q3 yUntil now, psychologists had thought the developing brains were not capable of the difficult art of lying until four years old. # e( b0 b; O; i+ D3 @8 T: H6 A; \# S1 u& a
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.' D8 V4 \) J: n
! Y+ v& y3 F: |! n/ `2 b9 w: MInfants 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.& h# H; ], C; [4 E& M p
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By the age of two, toddlers could use far more devious techniques, such as bluffing when threatened with a punishment. F, K4 V, L3 g6 w$ J# b6 W8 i5 \! A1 t4 Y
Dr 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.# z, ?# H. y* B+ N/ I& S
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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." 0 }5 }3 k: b! a' t: [9 w& w# U& O! m7 O9 u
She added: "Later it becomes more sophisticated by saying, 'I don't care' when threatened with a punishment - when they clearly do."6 g: d+ q: H0 }. t- v7 |) p% c0 J
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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.
