ATTITUDES TOWARD LYING IN PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN DEPENDING ON THEIR LEVEL OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT
Keywords:
attitudes toward lying, moral development, primary school children, “What Am I Like?” method, KokandAbstract
Primary school age (7–10 years) is a critical period for the formation of morality. Children learn to distinguish truth from lies, but their attitudes toward deception depend on moral development: at a low level, lying may seem acceptable; at a high level, it is condemned.
Objective: To identify how the level of moral development influences attitudes toward lying among primary school children in Kokand.
Methods: 150 children from three Kokand schools were surveyed in September–October 2025. R.S. Nemov’s (1994) “What Am I Like?” method was used to assess moral development, and an original questionnaire on attitudes toward lying (10 scenarios) was applied.
Results: Children with high moral development (45%) more often condemn lying (M = 4.2 on a 1–5 scale) than those with low development (25%, M = 2.1; p < 0.001). Correlation r = 0.62 (p < 0.001). Boys more often justify “white lies” (32% vs. 18% in girls).
References
Nemov, R.S. (1994). *Psychology. Book 3*. Moscow: Prosveshchenie.
Bussey, K. (1999). Children’s categorization and evaluation of different types of lies and truths. *Child Development*, 70(6), 1338–1347.
Subbotsina, L.Yu. (2005). *Development of morality in children*. Yaroslavl.
