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Evasive Lying in Strategic Communication

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  • Khalmetski, Kiryl
  • Rockenbach, Bettina
  • Werner, Peter

Abstract

In a sender-receiver game we investigate if sanctions for lying induce more truth-telling. Senders may not only choose between truth-telling and (explicit) lying, but may also engage in evasive lying by credibly pretending not to know. Sanctions promote truth-telling if senders cannot engage in evasive lying. If evasive lying is possible, explicit lying is largely substituted by evasive lying, in line with the notion that evasive lying is perceived as sufficiently less psychologically costly.

Suggested Citation

  • Khalmetski, Kiryl & Rockenbach, Bettina & Werner, Peter, 2017. "Evasive Lying in Strategic Communication," VfS Annual Conference 2017 (Vienna): Alternative Structures for Money and Banking 168119, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:vfsc17:168119
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    2. Lang, Matthias & Schudy, Simeon, 2023. "(Dis)honesty and the value of transparency for campaign promises," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    3. Uyanga Turmunkh & Martijn J. van den Assem & Dennie van Dolder, 2019. "Malleable Lies: Communication and Cooperation in a High Stakes TV Game Show," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(10), pages 4795-4812, October.
    4. Chloe Tergiman & Marie Claire Villeval, 2023. "The Way People Lie in Markets: Detectable vs. Deniable Lies," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(6), pages 3340-3357, June.
    5. Chloe Tergiman & Marie Claire Villeval, 2019. "The Way People Lie in Markets," Working Papers 1927, Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon St-Étienne (GATE Lyon St-Étienne), Université de Lyon.
    6. Lafky, Jonathan & Lai, Ernest K. & Lim, Wooyoung, 2022. "Preferences vs. strategic thinking: An investigation of the causes of overcommunication," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 92-116.
    7. Keh-Kuan Sun & Stella Papadokonstantaki, 2023. "Lying Aversion and Vague Communication: An Experimental Study," Papers 2301.00372, arXiv.org, revised Sep 2023.
    8. Hu, Fangtingyu & Ben-Ner, Avner, 2020. "The effects of feedback on lying behavior: Experimental evidence," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 24-34.
    9. Sun, Keh-Kuan & Papadokonstantaki, Stella, 2023. "Lying aversion and vague communication: An experimental study," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    10. Despoina Alempaki & Valeria Burdea & Daniel Read, 2021. "Deceptive Communication: Direct Lies vs. Ignorance, Partial-Truth and Silence," CESifo Working Paper Series 9286, CESifo.
    11. Sven A. Simon, 2020. "Is It a Lie if I Don't Know? Self-Serving Dishonesty Under Ignorance," Working Papers tax-mpg-rps-2020-12, Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance.
    12. Fries, Tilman & Gneezy, Uri & Kajackaite, Agne & Parra, Daniel, 2021. "Observability and lying," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 189(C), pages 132-149.
    13. Khalmetski, Kiryl, 2019. "Evasion of guilt in expert advice," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 296-310.
    14. Boonmanunt, Suparee & Kajackaite, Agne & Meier, Stephan, 2020. "Does poverty negate the impact of social norms on cheating?," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 124, pages 569-578.
    15. Daniel H. Wood, 2022. "Communication-Enhancing Vagueness," Games, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-27, June.

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    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness

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