When it comes to lies, size doesn't matter

Experimental psychologist Neil Garrett said that the act of telling lies actually reduces our brain’s emotional response to dishonesty, and encourages us to tell bigger lies in the future. Photo: TNS

A little dishonesty goes a long way. Scientists who studied the brain activity of people who told small lies to benefit themselves found that these fibs appeared to pave the way to telling whoppers later.

The findings, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, demonstrate how self-serving lies can escalate and offer a window into the processes in the brain at work.