Executive Functions And Young Children'S Lie-Telling And Lie Maintenance

The current study is the first to provide a comprehensive examination of the activation-decision-construction model (Walczyk, Roper, Seemann, & Humphrey, 2003, 2009) in relation to young children's lie-telling and lie maintenance. Young children (3 to 4 years of age, N = 93) completed the temptation-resistance paradigm to elicit a transgression (peeking at a forbidden toy). Children were asked if they peeked at the toy (initial lie) and what they thought the toy was (lie maintenance). A battery of executive functioning tasks was administered (working memory, inhibitory control, planning). With increased inhibitory control on a response inhibition task, children were significantly more likely to lie. With increased inhibitory control on a conflict inhibition task and superior planning on a planning task, children were significantly more likely to maintain their lies. Support for the activation-decision-construction model in relation to young children's deception is discussed.