On the importance of being agreeable: The impact of personality traits on prosocial lying in children

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the relation between personality traits and prosocial lie-telling in children. A sample of 187 children aged 8–12 years ( M age = 9.74 years, SD age = 1.01) was recruited from elementary schools in the south of France. The children’s prosocial lies were measured using the Helping Scenario, and personality was assessed using the Big Five Questionnaire for Children. Results indicated that compared to children with lower scores, children with high agreeableness scores were more likely to agree to lie to help others at their own expense, suggesting that personality may play a role in the decision-making process of lying to help others in this age-group.

Adolescents’ perceptions of social risk and prosocial tendencies: Developmental change and individual differences

“…In contrast, less‐empathic adolescents may be willing to help others only when they do not perceive high social risks, because they are unwilling to help if they perceive that helping will incur a social risk. In one laboratory study of 8‐ to 12‐year‐old children, children who rated themselves as less agreeable were less likely to lie to help others at their own expense, although the study did not examine empathy explicitly (Demedardi et al., 2021). Thus, adolescents who are less empathetic and highly tolerant of social risks may show lower prosocial tendencies, whereas adolescents who are highly empathetic may not show a link between social risk tolerance and prosocial tendencies.…”