Information control in conversations: Honesty is not always the best policy

Abstract

This exploratory research in the sociology of talk is focused on three questions for analysis: (1) to what extent does verbal information control occur in interaction, (2) what forms of verbal information control are used by people, and (3) what reasons do people give for controlling verbal information? One hundred and thirty (130) dyadic encounters were recorded and analyzed; the "actor" is the respondent and the "other" is the person with whom actor has the conversa- tion. An analysis of these encounters revealed that nearly two-thirds of the 870 instances of verbal communications were talk which controlled information. Frequency tables and typologies delineate (1) forms of information control and (2) reasons for information control. Although most codes of ethics, religious canons, and humanitarian ideals deprecate deception in whatever form, conversations in everyday life are noticeably characterized by forms of deceit ranging from "white lies" to exploitative prevarication. Analysis of dyadic conversations shows that not only are forms of deception frequently employed, they are necessary, even mandatory discursive elements. In everyday conversations, honesty is not always the best policy.