Deception

Deception is the act of deliberately causing someone to accept something as true when it is not true; it involves hiding or distorting the truth to mislead another person. It can take various forms, including:

• False representation: Presenting untrue information knowingly.
• Withholding information: Omitting facts that would correct a false impression.
• Misleading conduct or omission: Any behavior that creates or perpetuates a false belief in another person.

Legally, deception often involves knowingly misleading another through false or misleading statements or actions, including misrepresentations about facts, law, or value.

In psychology, deception refers to misleading research participants about the true purpose or conditions of an experiment to observe genuine behavior or create artificial situations difficult to study otherwise.

Deception can be categorized into types such as:

• Concealing: Withholding information.
• Falsifying: Presenting false information as true.
• Equivocating: Telling the truth in a way that implies something false without stating it directly.

It is important to note that simply providing incorrect information does not always constitute deception if there is no intent to mislead, such as in cases of memory failure or misunderstanding.

In summary, deception is a deliberate act to mislead or hide the truth, often to gain an advantage or manipulate perception.