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Created Sinning Machines
hillsbororiver:
This is a phrase Ray has used quite often and I know for a fact it applies to me. This morning I came upon an online article in the Telegraph (UK) that a study conducted by The University of Portsmouth psychology department, they made some interesting observations in regard to very young children seeking advantage by dishonesty, this will come as no real surprise to many parents but what may be surprising is that they do not pick it up as a learned behaviour but it is a natural instinct.
Babies not as innocent as they pretend
By Richard Gray, Science Correspondent
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 01/07/2007
Whether lying about raiding the biscuit tin or denying they broke a toy, all children try to mislead their parents at some time. Yet it now appears that babies learn to deceive from a far younger age than anyone previously suspected.
Behavioural experts have found that infants begin to lie from as young as six months. Simple fibs help to train them for more complex deceptions in later life.
Until now, psychologists had thought the developing brains were not capable of the difficult art of lying until four years old.
Following studies of more than 50 children and interviews with parents, Dr Vasudevi Reddy, of the University of Portsmouth's psychology department, says she has identified seven categories of deception used between six months and three-years-old.
Infants quickly learnt that using tactics such as fake crying and pretend laughing could win them attention. By eight months, more difficult deceptions became apparent, such as concealing forbidden activities or trying to distract parents' attention.
By the age of two, toddlers could use far more devious techniques, such as bluffing when threatened with a punishment.
Dr Reddy said: "Fake crying is one of the earliest forms of deception to emerge, and infants use it to get attention even though nothing is wrong. You can tell, as they will then pause while they wait to hear if their mother is responding, before crying again.
"It demonstrates they're clearly able to distinguish that what they are doing will have an effect. This is essentially all adults do when they tell lies, except in adults it becomes more morally loaded."
She added: "Later it becomes more sophisticated by saying, 'I don't care' when threatened with a punishment - when they clearly do."
Dr Reddy thinks children use early fibs to discover what kinds of lie work in certain situations, and also learn the negative consequences of lying too much.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/07/01/scibaby101.xml
Interesting isn't it?
Joe
Sorin:
Yes, it is very interesting indeed. I mean how does a child know how to lie, and deceive? It's a natural instinct, it's within us all.
Good find.
DizzyD:
Yes Joe that was interesting and eye opening to see that it comes natural.
When I finished reading this I had a flash of a thought has a study ever been done that shows when children learn to discern between right and wrong?
YellowStone:
Great post Joe and I agree with you Sorin (so good to have back with us again)
I so now understand Paul when he said the following:
Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
What is causing sin? The sin that dwells in each and every one of us. We cannot help but sin. Which is of course a very sobering realization, for even as we sin unwittingly, we know that God loves us still. I think I must be a well oiled and maintained Sining Machine. :(
Great Thread Joe. :)
Love in Christ,
Darren
Redbird:
Welcome back Sorin. :)
Lisa
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