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Do As I Say, Not As I Do: Benevolent Deception in Romantic Relationships

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 August 2014

Christian L. Hart ,
Drew A. Curtis ,
Nicole M. Williams ,
Marissa D. Hathaway  and
James D. Griffith
Christian L. Hart*
Affiliation:
Texas Woman's University, Denton, Texas, USA
Drew A. Curtis
Affiliation:
Angelo State University, San Angelo, Texas, USA
Nicole M. Williams
Affiliation:
Texas Woman's University, Denton, Texas, USA
Marissa D. Hathaway
Affiliation:
Texas Woman's University, Denton, Texas, USA
James D. Griffith
Affiliation:
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, USA
*
ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Christian L. Hart, Texas Woman's University, Department of Psychology & Philosophy, CFO 702, P. O. Box 425470, Denton, TX 76204-5470, USA. Email: chart2@twu.edu
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Abstract

In this study, men and women were surveyed about their attitudes toward the use of white lies and other forms of benevolent deception in their romantic relationships. We predicted that people would be more accepting of telling lies than of having lies told to them. Furthermore, we predicted that women would be more accepting than men of benevolent deception in their romantic relationships. We found that people were more tolerant of telling benevolent lies than they were of being told such lies. However, we found that men, not women, were more accepting of benevolent deception in their relationships.

Keywords

deceptionrelationshipsbenevolent deceptionliesromantic relationships
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Relationships Research , Volume 5 , 2014 , e8
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Australian Academic Press Pty Ltd 2014 

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