Short summary of Jessica Biasin’s research:

This project will examine whether day-to-day lie-telling relates to real-time changes in perceived rewards and threats among undergraduate students. Drawing on the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (Gray, 1970), we will test whether daily experiences of rewards (e.g., praise, inclusion) and threats (e.g., criticism, rejection) predict the frequency and type of lies told, while accounting for opportunities to lie through social interaction frequency.

To better understand when and why people lie, we will recruit undergraduate students to complete brief daily surveys over one week. Participants will report their number and the types of lies they tell, their daily experiences of rewards and threats, as well as their social interactions. We will also measure individual differences in reward and threat sensitivity.

Data will be analyzed using multilevel modelling to examine whether within-person fluctuations in perceived rewards and threats predict daily lie-telling, and whether these associations vary according to baseline reward and threat sensitivity. By examining how daily experiences relate to lie-telling in real time, this research will provide new insight into the motivations behind everyday dishonesty and help clarify why some individuals lie more often than others.