Question: I have heard that men tend to lie more often than women, but that women are actually better liars. Is that true?
Dr. Amen's Answer:
Before I answer this question, let me tell you a little bit about the way female and male brains work. Typically, the female brain is very active. Women are always thinking, thinking, thinking. The male brain, by comparison, is relatively quiet with less overall activity. In particular, men often have lower activity in the prefrontal cortex. Because of the lower activity levels, men tend to be more impulsive and do things without fully thinking them through and often find themselves in hot water with their wives or girlfriends. So, yes, men are more likely to lie.
Women also lie, but they get caught less. However, it isn’t necessarily because they are better liars. One reason why men get caught lying more often is that women have better access to the right hemisphere of the brain. This side of the brain is associated with reading social cues, which gives women an advantage in the lie-detection game. Women notice the small things, such as looking away or down or clearing your throat, that are typical in people who are not telling the truth. Since men tend to be in denial a lot of the time, they do not see when their partner is lying.
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