politics

Little liars: babies younger than one practise deceit, study suggests

16 Mart 2026The Guardian

🤖AI Özeti

A new study reveals that babies as young as 10 months are capable of practicing deceit, with behaviors such as pretending not to hear their parents or hiding toys. By the age of three, children become more adept at lying, often fabricating stories like claiming 'a ghost ate the chocolate.' The research involved interviews with 750 parents and highlights early cognitive development in children.

💡AI Analizi

This study sheds light on the cognitive abilities of infants and challenges the perception that deceit is a learned behavior that only develops later in childhood. The findings suggest that the capacity for deception may be an innate part of human development, prompting further inquiry into the moral implications of such behaviors at such a young age. Understanding these early signs of deceit could also influence parenting strategies and educational approaches.

📚Bağlam ve Tarihsel Perspektif

The study is part of a growing body of research into early childhood development, which increasingly recognizes the complexity of infants' cognitive skills. Previous studies have focused more on language acquisition and social skills, but this research emphasizes the role of deceit as a significant milestone in cognitive development.

The findings of this study are based on parental reports and may not fully capture the nuances of infant behavior.