Truth-telling Preferences Research Articles

Flight and the preferences for truth-telling: An experimental study among refugees and non-refugees in Syria, Jordan, and Germany

We report the results of an experiment on the preference for truth-telling in a repeatedly played mind game with Syrian refugees in Jordan and Germany. We compare their behavior with Syrians who still live in Syria as well as with Jordanians and Germans. The average number of lies is surprisingly similar – and low – across all five samples. However, the lying patterns of Syrian refugees are different from non-refugee participants in Germany, Jordan, and Syria itself. Syrian refugee participants are likely to lie more frequently than non-refugee participants. After having lied once, refugee participants resort to a “never return”- pattern significantly more often than the non-refugee participants. A closer look at the socio-demographic characteristics of our Syrian refugee participants reveals lying to be closely associated with higher age, while a longer stay in the host country is negatively correlated with the observation of lying patterns.

Eliciting preferences for truth-telling in a survey of politicians

Honesty is one of the most valued traits in politicians. Yet, because lies often remain undiscovered, it is difficult to study if some politicians are more honest than others. This paper examines which individual characteristics are correlated with truth-telling in a controlled setting in a large sample of politicians. We designed and embedded a game that incentivizes lying with a nonmonetary method in a survey answered by 816 Spanish mayors. Mayors were first asked how interested they were in obtaining a detailed report about the survey results, and at the end of the survey, they had to flip a coin to find out whether they would be sent the report. Because the probability of heads is known, we can estimate the proportion of mayors who lied to obtain the report. We find that a large and statistically significant proportion of mayors lied. Mayors that are members of the two major political parties lied significantly more. We further find that women and men were equally likely to lie. Finally, we find a negative relationship between truth-telling and reelection in the next municipal elections, which suggests that dishonesty might help politicians survive in office.

Gender Differences in Cancer Patients' Preferences for Truth-Telling in Taiwan.

There is a lack of studies investigating gender differences in cancer truth-telling, especially from the Asia Pacific countries. The aim of this study was to compare preferences for cancer truth-telling between male and female cancer patients in Taiwan. We used a quantitative cross-sectional design. Cancer patients (aged ≥18 years) were enrolled from 6 hospitals across Taiwan. A Taiwanese version of the Japanese truth-telling questionnaire was used to collect data. Multiple regression and independent t test were used for analysis. A total of 590 patients (49.6% male, 50.4% female) participated in this study. A multiple regression showed no gender differences in total scale and subscales (setting, method of disclosure, additional information, and emotional support). However, in item analysis, we found that female patients preferred detailed medical information (t = -1.973, P = .049). Both male and female patients preferred to know their medical condition (t = -1.259, P = .209), direct and frank truth-telling (t = -0.262, P = .794), and assistance in treatment decision-making (t = -0.467, P = .641). There was no gender difference in willingness to know the life expectancy (t = -0.769, P = .442) and families' presence during truth-telling (t = -0.416, P = .678). Few gender differences exist in the preferences of truth-telling for cancer patients. Our findings can increase the sensitivity of truth-telling among nurse and other healthcare personnel when taking care of cancer patients of different genders and thereby likely improve the quality of cancer care.

False Confessions: An Experimental Study of the Innocence Problem

The innocence problem, which occurs when an innocent person is falsely accused or convicted of a crime, is impossible to study with empirical data, because “true” innocence and guilt are unobservable in the “real world.” In this study, we replicate the criminal justice system in the laboratory with real salient crimes and subjects acting in the roles of defendants, prosecutors, and jurors in order to study the innocence problem. In a controlled environment, we identify individuals who are falsely or accurately accused of a crime and track them through the plea-bargaining system. This allows us to explore how being falsely accused of a crime affects plea bargaining decisions. We find evidence for a substantial innocence problem, reflected by a high willingness of truly innocent defendants to accept plea bargains. However, they do so at a lower rate than the truly guilty suggesting preferences for truth telling, an irrelevant factor in most economic theory. We also find evidence that individual preferences over uncertainty influence plea decisions, as predicted by economic theory. Overall, we find that loss aversion has a significant positive influence on plea decisions and that the reduced propensity of the truly innocent to accept plea bargains is driven by an interaction between their preferences to avoid lying and their preferences over uncertainty.

The Differences in Preference for Truth-telling of Patients With Cancer of Different Genders.

Patients' personality traits, especially age, gender, and cancer stage, tend to affect doctors' truth-telling methods. However, there is a lack of studies investigating the influence of patients' gender on truth-telling, especially for Asian cultures. The aims of this study were to qualitatively investigate the differences in preferences for truth-telling for patients with cancer of different genders and explore patients' preferences for decision making. For this descriptive qualitative study, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 patients with cancer (10 men and 10 women) using a semistructured interview guide. All interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Data collection and analysis occurred concurrently; content analysis developed categories and themes. Data analysis revealed 2 themes: (1) similar gender preferences for truth-telling and decision making: knowledge of their medical condition, direct and frank truthfulness, and assistance in decision making for subsequent treatment programs, and (2) preferences in truth-telling that differed by gender: women wanted family members present for confirmation of diagnosis, whereas men did not; men preferred truth-telling for only key points of their cancer, whereas women wanted detailed information; and men did not want to know their survival period, whereas women wanted this information. Our study revealed similar gender preferences for truth-telling regarding knowledge and decision making; however, preferences differed for family support, scope of information, and survival time. These findings can serve as a reference for nurses and other healthcare personnel when implementing truth-telling for patients given a diagnosis of cancer. Strategies can be targeted for specific preferences of men and women.

Truth telling in Taiwanese cancer care: patients' and families' preferences and their experiences of doctors' practices.

Despite the significant role played by cancer patients' families in medical decision-making in Asian countries, inconsistencies have hitherto not been evaluated between patients' and families' preferences and doctors' actual practices with regard to cancer truth telling. For this quantitative comparative study of cancer patients' and families' truth-telling preferences and their experiences of doctors' practices, 532 patients, 551 family members, and 127 doctors (N=1210) were enrolled from five hospitals across Taiwan over 2years. Truth telling was assessed using the Taiwanese version of a modified Japanese truth-telling scale. Patients' truth-telling preferences and their experiences of doctors' truth-telling practices differed significantly in scores on the overall truth-telling scale and each subscale, including method of disclosure, emotional support, additional information, and setting (P<.001). Similar findings were obtained for families' preferences and doctors' actual practices (P<.001). Patients' and families' truth-telling preference scores were higher than doctors' actual practice scores. Multiple regression analysis revealed a dose-dependent effect of doctors' monthly truth-telling frequency on their truth-telling preferences, but this effect was only borderline significant (P=.08). This multiple regression model explained 30% of the total variance in doctors' truth-telling preferences (F=1.38, P=.22). Taiwanese medical educational policies need to be revised to better equip doctors to practice truth telling in accordance with the preferences of cancer patients and families. Communication skills training should be prioritized for doctors who refrain from truth telling in actual practice.

Preferences for Truth-Telling

Preferences for Truth-Telling

Preferences for Truth-Telling

Preferences for Truth-Telling

Beliefs and truth-telling: A laboratory experiment

We conduct a laboratory experiment with a constant-sum sender–receiver game and a sequential game of matching pennies with the same payoff structure to investigate the impact of individuals’ first- and second-order beliefs on truth-telling. While first-movers in matching pennies choose an action at random, senders in the sender–receiver game tell the truth more often than they lie. Since second-order beliefs are uncorrelated with actions in both games, excessive truth-telling is unlikely to be driven by guilt aversion or preferences for truth-telling that are based on second-order beliefs; preferences for truth-telling per-se, on the other hand, cannot be rejected.

Lebanese cancer patients: Communication and truth-telling preferences

The purpose of this study was to describe and interpret the phenomenon of communication as lived by Lebanese cancer patients. Phenomenology based on the Utrecht School was chosen as an interpretive descriptive methodology to guide the processes of data collection, analysis and synthesis. In-depth semi structured interviews were carried out with a purposeful sample of ten cancer patients. Results of this qualitative study emphasise the needs of Lebanese cancer patients for a clear and truthful communication with healthcare professionals, and family members. Informants highlighted the influence of words used during communication on their outlook and morale. They also stressed the need to move from the paternalistic approach in care provision to patient-centered care that promotes patient autonomy. Informants clearly accentuated their rights to be told the truth about their condition.