Methods for promoting honesty in young children
Keywords:
deception, lie-telling, moral story, honesty, young childrenAbstract
Deceptive behavior emerges early during preschool age and is usually used by young children to conceal a misdeed or obtain a reward. Lie-telling can lead to decreased trustworthiness and might have a negative impact on social relationships. Therefore, it is important for professionals working with children to promote the development of moral values, with a particular emphasis on honesty. In this paper we critically analyse some important and novel methods in promoting honesty in young children. Methods such as encouraging children to tell the truth, reading children moral stories, combining moral stories with sharing behavior, or increasing children’s self-awareness are methods who increase truthfulness in children and decrease lie-telling behavior. In this theoretical study we also emphasize the role of culture in deceptive behaviour. Future directions about promoting honesty and practical implications are discussed.
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