All posts tagged: deception

This Week in History: Deception at No 10, a Soviet massacre, and the deadliest school shooting in US history

This Week in History: Deception at No 10, a Soviet massacre, and the deadliest school shooting in US history

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Destruction and deception dominate this week’s news. The world grieves the loss of 32 lives in the Virginia Tech massacre and watches in horror as flames engulf the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral. Meanwhile, political leaders are forced to face reckonings of their own. From the Soviet Union finally admitting to the Katyn massacre of nearly 15,000 Poles after half a century of denial, to Boris Johnson becoming the first sitting prime minister fined for breaking the law, history unfolds across the front pages of The Independent. 14 April 1990 – Moscow admits Katyn massacre amid Lithuania ultimatum Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev issues a 48-hour ultimatum to Lithuania, threatening an economic blockade if the republic refuses to annul its recent declaration of independence. Meanwhile, in a …

New research links personality traits to confidence in recognizing artificial intelligence deception

New research links personality traits to confidence in recognizing artificial intelligence deception

Published by José Betancourt

A study published in the journal F1000Research in 2023 suggests that specific personality traits, particularly honesty and agreeableness, can predict how confident young adults feel in their ability to spot deepfake videos. The findings provide evidence that our underlying psychological makeup shapes our perceived vulnerability to sophisticated artificial intelligence deception. Deepfake technology relies on artificial intelligence to create highly realistic, manipulated videos or audio recordings of real people. These programs study thousands of images or voice clips to generate synthetic media depicting people saying or doing things that never actually happened. As these digital forgeries become harder to distinguish from reality, they pose a growing threat to personal privacy and accurate information. Scientists wanted to understand why some individuals feel more capable of recognizing these digital forgeries than others. A person’s belief in their own capability to succeed in a specific situation is known in psychology as self-efficacy. Past research indicates that self-efficacy is often heavily influenced by fundamental personality traits. By examining these underlying psychological characteristics, the researchers aimed to map out how different …

Children are less likely to use deception after being given permission to deceive, study finds

Children are less likely to use deception after being given permission to deceive, study finds

Published by José Betancourt

A set of three studies of 36- to 83-month-old Singaporean children found that they were less likely to use deception in a strategic game after they were given explicit permission to deceive. The paper was published in Developmental Science. Deception is the act of intentionally causing another person to believe something that is false. It can be done through lying, hiding information, exaggeration, or creating a misleading impression. In everyday life, deception is part of social interactions, competition, and self-protection. People use deception to avoid punishment, gain an advantage, protect privacy, or spare someone’s feelings. In some situations, deception can help maintain social harmony, as in polite or tactful communication. In other situations, it can seriously damage trust, relationships, and cooperation. Engaging in deception demands both the cognitive sophistication to mislead others and the moral awareness to navigate the ethical implications of such behavior. Because of this dual nature, scientifically researching deception can be quite difficult. For example, when a person does not engage in deception in a certain situation, it is very difficult to …

A Devotee of Deception | Tim Parks

A Devotee of Deception | Tim Parks

Published by José Betancourt

In his first novel, Il salto con le aste (1989), Domenico Starnone presented two young boys determined to escape their turbulent Neapolitan backgrounds and assert themselves as free spirits and writers in the wider world. Asta in Italian can mean “pole,” and il salto (“jump”) con l’asta is the pole vault. But the plural aste can also refer to the uprights of the letters of the alphabet: the boys would make their great leap through a skillful use of language. Almost four decades later in his new novel, The Old Man by the Sea, a writer, like Starnone in his eighties, looks back across a life in which he always preferred distance and control rather than passion, a control largely associated with his profession of seeking to find “the right words that give meaning to all the pointless things that happen to us while we’re alive.” Between these early and late works, with their shared attention to the relations among writing, language, and perceived reality, Starnone has enjoyed one of the most prolific careers in …

The football world waits for Manchester City verdict after Chelsea fined for ‘deception’ of Abramovich era | UK News

The football world waits for Manchester City verdict after Chelsea fined for ‘deception’ of Abramovich era | UK News

Published by Sam Flores

How did Chelsea dominate in the Roman Abramovich era? In part with players, the Premier League has now concluded, signed involving financial deceptions. How were they able to avoid a points deduction and accept a fine – albeit a record £10.75m – that they won’t even need to pay themselves? An explanation is provided in a tranche of league documents that casts a further cloud over the Abramovich ownership that transformed the club’s fortunes. Across eight years, more than £47m in secret payments were made related to transfers, including to unregistered agents, and concealed on behalf of the club by entities associated with Mr Abramovich. There was, the league said, “deception and concealment in relation to financial matters”. Image: Chelsea have been handed a one-year transfer ban, suspended for two years. Pic: Reuters They involved deals for some of the biggest stars of the era, including Eden Hazard, David Luiz, Nemanja Matic, Willian, Ramires and Samuel Eto’o. None of the players are accused of wrongdoing or knowing about the payments. In the period central to …

Babies And Toddlers Are Already Masters Of Deception, Study Finds

Babies And Toddlers Are Already Masters Of Deception, Study Finds

Published by Sam Flores

If you’ve ever had the sneaky suspicion your toddler’s a master manipulator, prepare to feel vindicated. A new study suggests around one-quarter of children start to understand deception by as early as 10 months old (!!), and this rises to half of kids by the time they’re 17 months. Previous research has often focused on deception as something “very sophisticated”, however researchers in the new study were able to document much earlier forms of trickery in young kids. The study’s lead author, Elena Hoicka, Professor of Education at the University of Bristol, said: “It was fascinating to uncover how children’s understanding and usage of deception evolves from a surprisingly young age and builds in their first years so they become quite adept and cunning ‘little liars’.” What did the study involve? The parents of 750 children aged 0-47 months were asked a range of questions about their child’s deception development. Some parents noted their children’s deceptive ways began as early as eight months old. Once children learned the art of deception, this activity was found …

The Deception of Depression | Psychology Today

The Deception of Depression | Psychology Today

Published by Jenni Sidey

Depression is insidious. For people living with it, joy is elusive. Depression is not only a general feeling of sadness or being down and out; it’s a serious condition that needs attention. People suffering from depression cannot just get over it and move on. They need support, healing, and to discover the epicenter of their pain. It is estimated that 6.7 percent of the US population has had an episode of depression. That’s 16.2 million Americans. Of that population, 63 percent describe their depression as a major hindrance in their life. The hidden pain of social isolation One of the hardest aspects of depression is suffering in silence. Lack of connection and social isolation are major factors in depression. The pain areas in the brain for social isolation are triggered just as they are when people experience physical pain. Pain is activated and represented in the brain for both social and physical pain without any distinction. Pain is pain. The difference is that when we see an individual with a physical ailment like a broken …

People Who Want To Gossip About Your Life Almost Always Ask These 10 Questions When They Talk To You

People Who Want To Gossip About Your Life Almost Always Ask These 10 Questions When They Talk To You

Published by Jenni Sidey

Not everyone has your best intentions at heart. While some friends truly are looking out for you, others are looking for an excuse to use your problems for their own entertainment. Because of this, people who want to gossip about your life almost always ask questions meant to glean as much information as possible for their own purposes when they talk to you. They’ll probably never be upfront with you about their intentions. Using vague language, you won’t usually know what they’re actually thinking until you hear from someone else that they’ve been talking about you behind your back. If you want to be more wary about who you invite into your inner circle, be on the lookout for these probing questions. People who want to gossip about your life almost always ask these 10 questions when they talk to you 1. ‘So, what’s going on with you lately?’ Gaudi Lab | Shutterstock People who want to gossip about your life almost always ask, “So, what’s going on with you lately,” when they talk to …

Woman killed partner, buried him then had drink with his unsuspecting mum | UK | News

Woman killed partner, buried him then had drink with his unsuspecting mum | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

Fiona Beal murdered her partner (Image: PA Wire) A woman who savagely killed her partner and interred his “partially mummified” remains in the garden welcomed his mother round for drinks following the heinous act. Nicholas Billingham was fatally stabbed by his partner Fiona Beal in 2021. Fiona, a primary school teacher from Northamptonshire, slayed the 42-year-old builder upon discovering his extramarital affair. She proceeded to dispose of his corpse like “building waste” using improvised concrete layers and sheeting.  Beal contacted both their workplaces claiming they needed to self-isolate after positive Covid tests. She subsequently informed acquaintances that Nicholas had deserted her to cohabit with another woman in Essex. Nicholas was murdered and buried in the garden (Image: PA Wire) Seven days before Christmas, Nicholas’ mother Yvonne Valentine chose to visit Beal to check on her wellbeing after her son’s supposed abandonment. She told the Telegraph: “Nick had disappeared and it was Christmas [so] I wanted to bring over a present. Everything seemed completely normal.” Yvonne conversed with Beal for an hour, remarking on the fresh …