New Study Reveals People Tell More Lies With E-mail

You might not believe a “get rich quick” offer sent by a stranger, but when a message comes from a friend, you may be more likely to think it is believable.

But don’t be TOO sure! Researchers from Rutgers and DePaul universities found that more people lie in e-mail communications than verbally or in writing. Why? Because there seems to be a “reduced feeling of social obligation” when sending e-mail.

The more you know the recipient, the less inclined you’ll be to lie – but many of the people in the study admitted that they still stretch the truth, even with friends and colleagues.

Another study found that people are far more likely to be overly critical in email than on paper. So as the owner of a company, you might consider getting feedback via e-mail to elicit frank responses.