What does Working Memory have to do with Lying?
WHAT is happening when we lie - Lying takes more cognitive effort than telling the truth.
When people lie, they need to keep information in working memory – they need to juggle multiple pieces of information – what they’ve told you, as well as suppress the real story.
In my own research with children – I found that the better liars and higher working memory.
Brain scans reflect this pattern. The front of the brain or the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is highly active when people are lying- they are using a lot of cognitive effort or working memory to keep their story straight.