MANILA, Philippines - Toddlers who can tell convincing lies are more likely to become successful in their future careers compared to other kids, research showed.

A study by the Institute of Child Study at Toronto University revealed that the ability of a child to tell fibs at age 2 is a sign of a fast developing brain.

The more convincing the lie is, the more quick-witted the child will be as he grows up, making him more likely to be successful in life.

Pinocchio is a fictional character known to have a nose that becomes longer when he lies. Screenshot taken from the Disney version of the film, also titled "Pinocchio."

"Almost all children lie. Those who have better cognitive development lie better because they can cover up their tracks. They may make bankers in later life," Dr. Kang Lee, director of the Institute of Child Study at Toronto University told Telegraph.co.uk. (Read article here)

According to Lee, lying involves multiple brain processes such as integrating sources of information and manipulating data to their advantage.

He said this is related to the development of brain regions that allow "executive functioning and higher-order thinking and reasoning."

'Pinocchio peak'

The study, which involved 1,200 kids, showed that 20% of them began to lie as early as age 2.

The tendency to lie rose to 50% of the kids by 3 years old and almost 90% by age 4.

By the time they turned 7, most of the kids went through a so-called "Pinocchio peak." At this point, the study said parents are most likely to have a hard time determining if their children are lying.

"You shouldn't smack or scream at your child but you should talk about the importance of honesty and the negativity of lying. After the age of 8, the opportunities are going to be very rare," Lee told the Sunday Times. (Read article here)

The tendency to lie is said to fall away at age 16, when young people begin using the less harmless "white lies" to avoid hurting other people's feelings.

Lee made it clear, though, that there is no direct link between telling fibs in childhood and any tendency to cheat in exams or become a fraudster in real life.

Strict parenting or a religious upbringing doesn't have much of an impact either, he added.

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References:
Sunday Times
Telegraph.co.uk