Surprised by research that says lying is a sign of intelligence

Many studies have shown that lying is a common phenomenon in young children, even this is one of the signs of intelligence.

Lying is a problem that any child has. In the beginning, children lie simply to get rid of some difficult problems they are going through. However, if the lie is repeated over and over again, this becomes a problem for parents.

In fact, some children lie just to ask for a little fairness, others lie to induce parents, want their parents to care and need support. If your baby lies, do not worry too much because a recent study has shown that lying is a sign of intelligence. Here, aFamilyToday Health will share with you about the research.

Is lying really a sign of intelligence?

Dr. Michael Lewis has spent a lot of time studying lies in children. After years of research, he discovered many interesting things about children lying, when they started to lie and why.

Research has revealed that the earliest time children start to lie is around 2 years old, when they start learning to speak. Lying is considered a sophisticated social skill that helps children learn more about the world around them. There are 4 common types of lying in children:

1. Lie to protect others

Young children are often very innocent. Sometimes, children don't know how to tell you the truth because they are afraid that you will be disappointed. For example, when your child is afraid of seeing your tense face while tasting an unsavory ice cream, he will say, "It's okay, I want to eat, I think it's delicious too!"

This type of lying is a way for children to adapt to society and display emotional intelligence. Girls often lie this way better than boys.

In Lewis's study, he gave each child a toy they didn't like. The results showed that boys had more difficulty hiding their disappointment.

Older children often show better optimism when they receive poor results. Not only that, but children around 4 years old also have this skill.

If you see your child lying like this, this is a sign of intelligence that he thinks about other people's feelings.

2. Lie to avoid punishment

In the study, Lewis asked children not to peek at a toy placed behind his or her back. If you do this, your child will be able to play with it.

Most babies peep, but up to 60% of children do not intentionally lie. Experiments have shown two core aspects of intelligence: the ability to delay satisfaction (peeking) and how to hide what you do not follow directions (lie).

Children who are able to lie often have an IQ score of 10 points higher than children who tell the truth. And the ability to lie often increases with age.

 3. Deceive yourself

From the age of 2, children can tell lies so as not to be embarrassed. For example, your daughter is trying to play the slide. At this point, a boy ran to push him out and said that he was the one who came first. In this situation, some babies will burst into tears, while your baby says, "I don't want to play the slide again." This shows that she is deceiving herself to get out of situations she doesn't want.

4. To hurt others

Of all the forms of lying, this is the only one that will harm others. This type of lying is less common, but it often presents a serious problem. Children lie to avoid punishment and blame others.

Lewis research shows that lying is a way for children to adapt to different situations. Therefore, lying to hurt others reflects that the child has a concrete plan. It is important to tell your child the consequences of this kind of lie and explain that it is bad practice to blame or accuse others of what they did not do.

Ways to nurture intelligence for children

Lying is a way to develop your emotions and social skills. This is also a way for children to learn about goals, how to reach them, and how to maintain relationships. However, there are still many other ways to encourage children to become smarter before they learn to speak and develop the ability to lie. Do a few simple activities to help your child develop intelligence:

In the womb

Talk to your growing baby often

Develop a nutritious diet with a variety of foods containing omega-3 fatty acids

Do exercise

Newborn (0 - 6 months)

Make eye contact with your baby

Sing to your baby

Breastfeeding

6 months or more

Tell your baby stories before going to bed

Take your baby to shop

Play peek-a-boo

Sometimes you shouldn't be too nervous when you see your child lie. It is important to find a way to deal with this and intervene when your child lies to harm others.