Quickie: 3 Common Lies in Dating Profiles
The lies we tell and how to spot them
Everybody knows that people looking for love online lie. But how can we spot those lies?
According to researcher Catalina Toma, there are common ways that people lie to potential lovers online. After studying the profiles of dozens of online daters, she identified ways to catch these lies when looking for love on the Internet.
“Liars do this because they want to distance themselves from their deceptive statements.”
Less is more. Generally speaking, if an online dater has a short profile, there’s a good chance that it’s peppered with tall tales. This strategy is used when lying because the less information that is given to potential dates, the less liars have to worry about being inconsistent.
“They don’t want to say too much,” said Toma. “Liars experience a lot of cognitive load. They have a lot to think about. The less they write, the fewer untrue things they may have to remember and support later.”
The I’s have it. Daters who lie in their profiles are less likely to use the word “I” because it allows them to spin untruths to potential lovers without feeling connected to what they are saying.
