Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Influence of Parenting Practices on Children's Antisocial Lie-Telling

Abstract

Research suggests that the fear of harsh punishment from parents encourages children's antisocial lie-telling as they attempt to avoid the punishment for their transgressions. In contrast, warm and supportive parenting practices foster internalization of moral rules and norms and an ability to resist the temptation, so children have no need to lie to conceal it. This study aimed to examine short-term (cross-sectional) and longer-term (longitudinal) influences of these contrasting parenting practices on children's actual antisocial lie-telling to conceal a transgression, across a broad age range including children 8 years and under and over 8 years (3–15 years). Results revealed that parent's endorsement of using harsh punishment with their child was associated with a higher propensity for their child to lie in the short-term (cross-sectionally), but not in the long-term (longitudinally). Conversely, warm and supportive parenting predicted children's lower propensity to tell lies 1 year later, but there was no short-term (cross-sectional) association. Together, these findings suggest that these contrasting parenting practices influence children's antisocial lie-telling in different ways depending on the time interval. Finally, parenting practices were only related to antisocial lie-telling in one situation, but not the other. Implications are discussed.