Lying: Bad for Health and Relationships
It was a good thing George Washington couldn't tell a lie - researchers are finding that lying not only harms relationships, but also harms your health. In a 10-week study at the University of Notre Dame, psychologists employed 110 people -- 65 percent of whom were college students and 35 percent who were adults - to see if non-liars enjoyed better health and relationships during the study. Participants reported in each week and took a polygraph about whether they'd told lies during the week. Relationship and physical health were also measured each week, and half of the participants were instructed to stop telling both outright and white lies during the 10-week period. A control group was given no specific instructions about lying less.