The effects of gender and consequence upon perceptions of deceivers

This study examines the impact of gender combinations and consequences of deceptive acts upon perceptions held by uninvolved third party observers. Perceptions examined in this initial study were observer attitudes toward a specific act of deception and the deceiver's credibility and personal qualities. Results indicate the existence of both a gender effect and a consequence effect. Under certain conditions, females appear to be more sensitive to relational deception than males and report more negative attitudes and perceptions of the deceiver's character, competence, and sociability. The consequence for the target impacted both observer attitude toward the specific act of deception and perceptions of deceiver credibility. Paradigmatic research should be designed to yield additional information.

Key concepts:

• Deception
• Perception
• Impression
• Gender
• Relationships
• Image