this post was submitted on 24 Mar 2026
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Speaking of understanding the state of information and when it became available to others, do you think the Wikipedia article might need to be updated based on new research findings?
I will wait until the research is replicated but based on my 3 year old son’s behaviour I’m going to say that yes, children start attempting to deceive before 4 years old.
He’s been hiding biscuits and other treats he knows he shouldn’t have since well before he was 2.
So maybe you’re relying on outdated information, maybe you’re biased about your own child, or maybe your child is a little delayed.
You didn't read the review I posted, did you?
Yes, of course your anecdotal evidence beats scientific consensus. Everything that's matching your preconceived beliefs is true. Everything else "needs to be replicated first". /s (even though I shared a review, not a singular study)
Occam's razor would rather suggest learned patterns (if I put these things that I like here, my parent won't shout at me), rather than consensus in developmental science being wrong.
Are you sceptical of climate change as well?
The review was from 2022. "Biased" in what way exactly (my child doesn't exhibit "deceptive behavior")? And diagnosing the children of strangers on the internet with developmental disorders (or just suggesting as such) is something only an arrogant asshole would do. Sorry, I don't make the rules.
Science and scientific consensus are not set in stone, that you continue to reject new information only demonstrates your lack of understanding of the scientific method.
You asked if I was a parent and I elaborated. I don’t require any anecdotal evidence… the research findings are literally what is being discussed here.
Clearly you can’t cope with a reality where your child would attempt to deceive you. Their teenage years are going to be rather enlightening for you.
Did I miss something? Did you actually supply any "new information", other than your anecdotal evidence?
Before you accuse me of being close-minded, you should probably supply some actual data for my mind to be open to.
Why did you supply it, then?
Adding "clearly" doesn't make any of your jumping to conclusions any less ludicrous. Stop trying to psychoanalyse strangers on the internet. That's what we here consider "dickish behaviour".
What? I said that you need a theory of mind that's advanced enough to deceive someone and that this stage of ToM comes at around four. Suggesting that I think that my child woudn't keep secrets from me as a teenager implies that I think that they'll never develop a ToM (which would be a severe mental disability). And where did I claim that?
This article isn't about teenagers, anyway.
Reading the article apparently
I read the article. That wasn't a study. That was a survey where parents self-reported for their children. Hardly a study that has any scientific merit.
Tat's part of science, too: Validate if the applied methods where actually worth anything. And aurvey of parents is not how you ro developmental science.
https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/the-early-deception-survey-eds-its-psychometric-properties-in-chi/
I did say I’d wait for replication but it is absolutely research. Again you fail to understand the scientific method.
You fail to understand quality standards in science.