Pinocchio’s Nose in Therapy: Therapists’ Beliefs and Attitudes Toward Client Deception

Abstract

In this study, we investigated therapists’ beliefs about indicators of deception and attitudes toward client deception. We recruited interns and licensed psychologists from various accredited internship sites. They completed a demographics questionnaire, the Detection of Deception Questionnaire, and the Therapist Attitudes Toward Deception measure. The questionnaires measured therapists’ beliefs and attitudes towards client deception. The results indicated that therapists possessed a small number of accurate beliefs about indicators of deception and held a number of negative attitudes toward deceptive clients. Findings also revealed that therapists reported being deceptive with clients. Implications for training and practice are discussed.