Deception Motives Module
People lie for the same goals that drive honest speech, and a lie becomes likely when the truth blocks one of them.
What it is
It is one part of the truth-default theory set out by Timothy Levine. People want the same things whether they are honest or not, and most of the time the truth serves those wants well enough, so they tell it. A lie appears when the truth would get in the way of a goal, which makes deception tactical and fairly predictable rather than random.
In effect
In the article on why people lie, it frames lying as a response to a situation in which the truth costs something, which is why the same person can be honest in one setting and not in another.
What it does not say
It is a framework rather than a single tested effect. It does not say everyone lies equally, and it does not make any lie acceptable; it describes when lies tend to happen.
Sources
- Levine, T. R. Duped.