Paltering

Paltering is the active use of selective truthful statements to mislead.[1][2][3][4]

The term as applied in psychology and mediation studies was developed by researchers at the John F. Kennedy School of Government in the late 2000s.[5][6][7] The first known use of palter to describe acting insincerely or deceitfully was in the 1580s.[8]

Paltering is considered both more serious and more common than a lie of omission (a passive failure to correct a wrong statement).[3] Paltering differs from a lie of omission in the following way, as described by Todd Rogers of the Kennedy School: When selling a used car with engine trouble, a lie of omission would be a silent failure to correct a buyer who said, "I presume the car is in excellent shape and the engine runs well", while paltering would involve deceiving the buyer with a statement such as "I drove it yesterday in 10-below temperatures and it drove well".[3]

People who palter often believe it is less unethical than outright lying.[9]

Usage

Paltering appears to be common in negotiations. More than half of 184 business executives surveyed in a study by the Kennedy School admitted that they had paltered. Among those who did, most told the researchers they paltered to get a better deal. But the practice is risky, because when it is caught, it causes conflict, reduces trust and undermines relationships.[9][2][1]

Politicians sometimes palter to dodge questions in a debate.[2]

See also

References
  1. Rogers, Todd; Zeckhauser, Richard; Gino, Francesca; Norton, Michael I.; Schweitzer, Maurice E. (March 2017). "Artful paltering: The risks and rewards of using truthful statements to mislead others". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 112 (3): 456–473. doi:10.1037/pspi0000081. ISSN 1939-1315. PMID 27936834. S2CID 3402556.
  2. Hogenboom, Melissa (15 November 2017). "The devious art of lying by telling the truth". BBC Future. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  3. McGregor, Jena (December 29, 2016). "When telling the truth is actually dishonest". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  4. Gino, Francesca (5 October 2016). "There's a Word for Using Truthful Facts to Deceive: Paltering". Harvard Business Review. Archived from the original on 5 January 2017.
  5. Schauer, Frederick; Zeckhauser, Richard (February 2007). Paltering (Report). KSG Faculty Research Working Paper Series. Social Science Research Network. doi:10.2139/ssrn.832634. SSRN 832634. RWP07-006.
  6. Schauer, Frederick; Zeckhauser, Richard (2009). "Paltering". In Harrington, Brooke (ed.). Deception: From Ancient Empires to Internet Dating. Stanford University Press. pp. 38–54. ISBN 9780804756495.
  7. Harnack, Klaus (2019). "Paltering – wie man mit Wahrheiten lügen kann" [Paltering - how to lie with truths] (PDF). Die Mediation (in German): 26–27. ISSN 2366-2336.
  8. "Definition of PALTER". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  9. Gerdeman, Dina (2016-12-05). "How To Deceive Others With Truthful Statements (It's Called 'Paltering,' And It's Risky)". HBS Working Knowledge. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
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