Why Women Are Perceived As Trustworthier Than Men

Time:

In this month's Journal of Language and Social Psychology, Marilyn Boltz and colleagues delve into the intersection of gender, speech patterns and deception. "We found that people perceive women to lie less than men and that they perceive men and women to tell different kinds of lies," says Boltz, a professor of psychology at Haverford College.

Read the whole story: Time

Comments

[Myshkin57]

02:52 PM on 12/19/2010

'trustworthier'? Is that a word?

[Blues02]

05:51 PM on 12/16/2010

I think some are missing the word "perceived" in the headline. People perceive women to be more trustworthy, not that women are more trustworthy.

[SBrooksB]

04:18 PM on 12/16/2010

I must say that in my sixty years on earth, I've been shocked by women's seeming inability to keep a secret. It's true that I can only speak for women I've known, but I've been stunned at the ease with which they'll betray the confidence of a sibling, friend, lover, or husband. "She made me promise not to tell anyone!" they'll say after spilling a confidence that no other person should ever hear. "So you can't breathe a word!"

Love this quote by Ambrose Bierce:

"There is positively no betting on the discreet reticence of any woman whose silence you have not secured with a meat ax."

In the final analysis, probably men and women are untrustworthy in equal measure, but I do think men are better at keeping secrets.

[h0tr0d]

02:39 PM on 12/16/2010

Here's a story with the opposite conclusion....women lie more and are better at it.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/04/earlyshow/living/relationships/main3903159.shtml

[MikeDu]

01:11 PM on 12/16/2010

This somehow reminds me of the 1920s Parisian journal writer Anais Nin. She made a fine art of lying and the men in her life believe every word she said.

[LastTexasRose]

11:11 AM on 12/16/2010

I think women tend to be more honest about emotions and more probable to tell the truth instead of a web of lies, but that is just based on many years of experiences so your milage may vary

[jungpatawan]

10:14 AM on 12/16/2010

Women aren't better at trust, just worse at trusting.

[Prousa]

05:03 PM on 12/15/2010

"More Trustworthy" maybe?

[Badger33]

10:13 PM on 12/15/2010

There's no excuse for bad grammar. HP should be raising the bar, not lowering it. The gibberish words usually come from alternative medicine: healthful, wellness. Oh yes, by the way, many women lie. At times, as an end in itself.

[jungpatawan]

10:15 AM on 12/16/2010

"Worthier of trust?"

[123think]

04:22 PM on 12/15/2010

I wonder what planet this writer lives on?

[chucknchar]

09:57 AM on 12/15/2010

Women rationalize their lies, although they are held to higher standard. They are human and no more moral than men, believe me, I speak from experience.

[MARTYB]

06:52 AM on 12/15/2010

Having grown up with 3 sisters i never thought so.

[NWBrunette]

01:09 AM on 12/15/2010

Because we're much better at lying.

[mrs adler]

05:02 PM on 12/14/2010

I am a young woman, studying at a very competitivy college and my instincts told me from the very beginning to trust my male mates more than my female mates. I was right... until now, I just heard and read gossip about my marks, my clothes, my jewerllery and my life in general from my female mates.

[Boodieugwumba]

05:00 PM on 12/14/2010

I won't count on that. Sure, women are born to be naturally trustworthier but society takes over and turns them into what the rest of us are. My point is that before the advent of this present society of selfishness, yes they were more trustworthy but not anymore.

[colred]

04:29 PM on 12/14/2010

Do we have to use poor grammar in the headline? Is there even a word "trustworthier"? Isn't it "more trustworthy"?

[wolfiegirl]

07:52 PM on 12/14/2010

I was about to make the same observation! Do these writers have college degrees?

[Shaun Hensley]

02:05 AM on 12/15/2010

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/trustworthier

go figure.

[LastTexasRose]

11:09 AM on 12/16/2010

Slightly obscure words tend to really crack me up, especially when everyone goes bonkers thinking it is either mispelled or misused.
I tend to use either gray or grey and color or colour as just a couple of examples, because I have been exposed to the alternate spellings frequently and my brain thinks nothing of switching between the spellings

[colred]

04:32 PM on 12/16/2010

I saw that, but it is the only one that lists it.