Lying to an older adult in a sharing situation: differences between young and mid-life adults

The present study aimed to examine ageism by lying to an older woman in the UG. Indeed, young participants lied more to an older receiver than to younger versions of that receiver, whereas mid-life participants did not. We suggest that mid-life participants prepare themselves psychologically to join an older community and, therefore, are more tolerant toward older people than their younger counterparts. Young participants scored higher on the SRLS and lied more in the UG than mid-life participants. The present study contributes to a better understanding of the different approaches to lying by young and mid-life people. Young participants were relatively free to consider lying and behaving deceptively, whereas mid-life participants restricted their lying behavior and attitudes toward lying.