THE INFLUENCE OF PARENTING AND THEORY OF MIND ON YOUNG CHILDREN’S HONESTY

Abstract

Past studies have consistently established a relation between cognitive factors, such as theory of mind, and children’s lying. However, research on the influences of social-environmental factors on this behaviour remains scant. The present study examined how theory of mind and parenting jointly influence children’s lying. Three- to six-year-old children (N = 116) participated in the temptation resistance paradigm, in which they were instructed to not peek at a toy when left alone. Results showed that most children peeked and lied about doing so. Further, children’s initial lie-telling was related to diverse beliefs and knowledge access understanding, and this relationship was moderated by parental control. Children’s subsequent maintenance of the initial lie was related to overall theory-of-mind understanding and this relationship was moderated by parental warmth. Overall, the findings suggest that children’s lying behaviours are outcomes of complex interactions between cognitive and social factors.