Theorizing About Deception

Abstract

This essay provides a unifying commentary concluding this special issue on new theories of deception. Information Manipulation Theory 2 (IMT2) and Truth-Default Theory (TDT) offer perspectives of deception that contrast with many past and current approaches. Key points of difference between these new theories and prior works include how deception is defined, the centrality of deception cues, the role of stakes in deception, the importance of communication media or channel, and whether or not deception is intrinsically more cognitively effortful than truthtelling. IMT2 and TDT shift focus away from deception cues and toward situated, contextualized information and communication content. Theory-data consistency is argued to be paramount. The overarching goal of these new theories is to chart the course for future deception research.