Other‐Oriented Lie‐Telling and Moral Evaluations During Adolescence: A Longitudinal Study

ABSTRACT This study examined the longitudinal associations of adolescents’ lie‐telling and moral evaluations of other‐oriented lies told to friends, as well as the potential moderating roles of age and peer influence. Adolescents ( N = 818; 11–17 years at T1; M age = 13.30, 49.80% male) reported how often they told other‐oriented lies to their friends, their moral evaluations of other‐oriented lies, and their sensitivity to peer influence annually for 3 years. In early adolescence, a bidirectional relationship between moral evaluations and lie‐telling was found. Additionally, sensitivity to peer influence was bidirectionally associated with both moral evaluations and lie‐telling. In late adolescence, moral evaluations predicted lie‐telling frequency, but lie frequency did not predict evaluations. Both moral evaluations and lie‐telling predicted sensitivity to peer influence.