Kids and Adults Are More Lenient Toward ‘Lies Of Omission’

If seems all people tend to judge lies of omission (where the liar purposely leaves out information) more leniently than lies of commission.

They specifically found that both elementary school children and adults showed omission bias, in their moral judgments, determining that lies of commission are morally worse than those of omission.

Adults tolerated lies of omission that were told to benefit the self better than lies of omission that were told to benefit others, and they also were more tolerant of lies told to conceal deliberate transgressions compared to lies told to conceal accidental transgressions.

Researchers say this study shows children’s moral judgments of lies gradually change as they grow up, and since the study makes adults aware of the influence of bias, it will be possible to improve children’s morality concerning lies.