Exploring the underlying psychological correlates of self-deception

Pages: 18-22
Pramita Sengupta (Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur, Assam)
Jayati Bhattacharyya and Deepshikha Ray (Department of Psychology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, West Bengal)
Sudeshna Das (Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Tata Motors Hospital, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand)
Reshmi Ghosh Palit (Department of Psychology, Maharani Kasiswari College, Kolkata, West Bengal)

The present study aims to explore the cognitive basis of self-deception on the basis of the participants’ performance on a deception task and its relation to other cognitive variables. A total of 130 healthy participants (58 males & 72 females) of the age range of 18-25 years having a minimum educational qualification of ‘passed grade XII’ were screened and selected for the study using General Health Questionnaire 28. By using an interview format, the researcher collected personally significant information from the participants to be used later in the deception task. An android based mobile application was prepared to generate and administer the deception task. The participants were also assessed on Stroop Task (www.onlinestrooptest.com), Eyesenck Personality Questionnaire (1975); Rotter’s Locus of Control Scale (1954); Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale (1965); Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1995). Statistical analysis revealed self-deception is related to personality and cognitive inhibition. The results were discussed in light of recent literature.

Keywords: cognitive inhibition, deception, stroop task, self-deception

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15614/IJHW.v11i01.5