Dear Victoria,

Aging in humans is typically/inevitably accompanied by both physical and mental changes --- even in the absence of pathology or accident (e.g., physical trauma, poisoning, etc) (See, for example, the first clinical pharmacology book that addressed these issues: Pagliaro & Pagliaro (1983) Pharmacologic Aspects of Aging, C.V. Mosby).

That said, your question requires some additional information before it can be answered with optimal validity and reliability. Information such as "How do YOU define lying"? Is it simply "not telling the truth"  -- IF so and I am elderly and I tell you today is Tuesday (when in fact it is Wednesday), am I lying? Always and in all circumstances? I think you see what I am getting at . . .

Based upon the original work in this area performed by my wife and I many years ago and subsequent clinical work as a psychologist (primarily in the field of addictions), I would say that the elderly often misrepresent "historic events", but that such misrepresentation is most often due, in the absence of clinical pathology such as Alzheimer's disease, to simple forgetting and consequent confabulation (which results in new memories that the elderly perceive as "true"). For example, many elderly comment, usually in opposition to (or without due consideration of) "factual data" in regard to issues/events such as: "I worked so much harder than youth today who tend to be lazy"; "My mother was like a saint"; "Life was so much simpler and better in the old days"; "We didn't have the crime that you do today"; "Children today are spoiled"; "If I had all the help and benefits that people do today, I would have been much more successful"; etc.

And, or course, there are the "little white lies" that elderly tell --- often, I believe, in an attempt to preserve their self-esteem and/or prevent embarassment: White lies such as: "Yes, my daughter is very happy with her new husband and blended family"; "My son, Fred, is a very successful businessman in Toronto"; "My husband, Ralph, was always to kind and considerate towards me"; etc. ---- even though there may scarcely be a word of truth in any these statements.

Elderly people also lie in order to acheive a desired outcome. For example, a wheelchair-bound elderly woman complaining to her physician that "the pain in my legs is absolutely unbearable. I must have a refill of my oxycodone . . ." --- when, in fact, she is obtaining the prescription for her 32 year old son to resell for profit and abuse. In regard to this latter form of "lying", I am unaware of specific patterns/circumstances that are peculiar or specific to the elderly alone.

I know that my response has probably not answered your entire question, but perhaps it will be of some assistance . . . 

Sincerely,

Lou Pagliaro

Dear Lou Pagliaro,

Your answer is indeed of huge assistance! Deception - as recognized in inter-personal psychology, communication studies and the more recent deception detection field - is defined as an message that's intentionally transmitted to create a false belief or conclusion in the mind of the receiver(s) of the message. So, out of your examples, the oxycodone example and the white lies would be considered deceptive (where there is in fact intended falsehood), but not knowing the day of the week is most likely an error (no intended false impression on the listener's part). It's tricky since there isn't always enough information to read into intentions. One of the major problems in deception detection research is obtaining the "gold standard" which confirms when the truth is reliably truthful.

The exaggerations and reconstructed memories (the saint mother and the blended family happiness) are fascinating and I'd love to look more into those. To me it sounds like (an attempt at) self-deception, which is also typically excluded in the deception detection field. I'd imagine that if the memory is failing, as you say, people need to reconstruct the events, and why on earth would anyone reconstruct the past to their own disadvantage. So, thus the distorted point of view. But won't younger adults have memory lapses and have ot make do on the spot?  (Sleep deprived mothers or workoholics come to mind.)

It also sounds like you've heard the "case-scenarios" as if the elderly are going by a script of some kind. Are those stereo-types, or something that you witnessed over and over in your practice as a psychologist.

This is all fascinating in any case! Thanks so much for the reply. I will follow up on your psych citation.

VR

Of the top of my head, some (more women?) lie about their age. So also, some (more men?) lie about their wealth. Some lie about their number of divorces or marriages. So, yes,  it would seem like certain kinds of deceptions are age related.