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Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science pp 1–7Cite as

Human Deception

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Synonyms

Betrayal; Deceit; Duplicity; Lying; Treachery; Trickery

Definitions

Deception is notoriously difficult to define given that there are so many forms across human and nonhuman animals (Mitchell 1993). Here, we define deception as the intentional or unintentional misrepresentation of information. This misrepresentation can be conscious or unconscious and may serve a multitude of purposes including (but not limited to) survival (e.g., physical defense), resource acquisition (e.g., acquiring food or resources), or increased inclusive fitness (e.g., reproductive advantages).

Introduction

Deception is common in human interactions (Kashy and DePaulo 1996). It can be intentional such as in the case of lying, self-presentation, or withholding important information. Deception may also be unintentional or unconscious, such as in the case of self-deception (e.g., von Hippel and Trivers 2011). Deception may stem from good intentions or a desire not to harm, or it may come from a place of...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Texas, El Paso, 500 W. University Ave, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA

    Melissa S. de Roos & Daniel N. Jones

Authors
  1. Melissa S. de Roos
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  2. Daniel N. Jones
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniel N. Jones .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

  2. Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. Abertay University, Dundee, Scotland

    Christopher Watkins

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG

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de Roos, M.S., Jones, D.N. (2016). Human Deception. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3305-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3305-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

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