THE CONCEPT OF LYING IN THE LANGUAGE USE OF HUNGARIAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN VOJVODINA: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF COLEMAN AND KAY

This study examines the concept of lying among Hungarian-speaking elementary school students in Vojvodina, focusing on the relative importance of the three prototypical elements of lying: objective falsehood, belief in the falsehood, and intention to deceive. Following the methodology of Coleman and Kay (1981), we used a Hungarian translation of their stories, ensuring cultural appropriateness. Participants (N = 256) completed an online questionnaire, rating each story’s prototypicality of lying. Regarding the characteristics of the sample, the gender composition was balanced, with the proportion of female participants being 47.5% and male participants 52.5%. The age of the participants ranged from 11 to 15 years, with an average age of M = 12.08 years. Results indicate that the sequence of lying elements, in order of importance, is objective falsehood > belief in the falsehood > intention to deceive. This contrasts with Coleman and Kay’s original sequence, suggesting potential cultural differences in the perception of lying. The findings also indicate that belief in the falsehood plays a more significant role than intention to deceive among Hungarian-speaking students in Vojvodina. This study contributes to the knowledge of how elements of lying are prioritized in different languages and cultural contexts.