The role of stakes in lying: an empirical investigation of the robustness of the folk concept of lying

Several studies suggest that stakes matter for knowledge attributions. Based on these findings, one might wonder whether stakes – broadly construed – also matter for lying ascriptions. While several studies have addressed certain aspects of the role of stakes in lying, none have tested whether lying ascriptions are affected by stake manipulations. Given that lying is deeply embedded in our social life, empirical studies seem to be a natural approach to this question. To maximize the chances of finding a stake effect, we employed cases of deceptive implicatures, which are not clear-cut cases of lying. The findings of three experiments suggest stakes do not have a significant impact on people’s lying ascriptions. We discuss the implications of these findings and conclude that they are good news for the folk concept of lying.