WHAT:

Newswise — With the growing disagreement between the White House and the media over what constitutes fact, the American Psychological Association has made available psychology experts who can comment on the issue of deception, including why some people (politicians and private individuals alike) choose to dissemble, how to identify when someone is attempting to deceive and what individuals can do to protect themselves from falling victim to falsehoods in the public sphere.

WHO:

Robert Feldman, PhDAmherst, MassachusettsWork: (413) 577-1203Email: [email protected]

Expertise: Feldman is deputy chancellor and professor of psychological and brain studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He studies lying in adults and children, focusing on how, when and why people are verbally deceptive. In his research, he looks at the ways in which people use lying strategically in their social interactions, and the consequences of this deception. His book “The Liar in Your Life” focuses on lying and deception in everyday life, concentrating on why people lie to each other, why we allow others to lie to us, and how a culture of lies permeates American society.

Leanne ten Brinke, PhDDenverWork: (303) 871-6772Email: [email protected]

Expertise: Brinke is an assistant professor at the University of Denver, where she directs the Truth and Trust Lab. Previously, she was a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow in the Haas School of Business and Department of Psychology at UC Berkeley. Her research is focused on social cognition and the paradox of trust -- that is, if determining whom to trust is so important, why do decades of research suggest that the accuracy of these decisions is so poor? She has published articles in leading academic journals addressing this question, and has received national and international media attention for her work.

Monroe Friedman, PhDSanta Monica, CaliforniaHome: (310) 656-4943Email: [email protected]

Expertise: Friedman is an emeritus professor of psychology at Eastern Michigan University and a researcher/consultant on consumer problems. With over 50 years of research to his credit, he specializes in the influence of marketing messaging on society, specifically, consumer scams, confidence swindles of older consumers and consumer protection. He is a past president of the American Council on Consumer Interest and a former editor of the Journal of Consumer Affairs. He has also served in Washington as a congressional fellow and a research consultant to the White House Office of Consumer Affairs, the U.S. General Accounting Office, the Consumer Interests Foundation, the Federal Trade Commission and the National Science Foundation.

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The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA's membership includes more than 117,500 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives.________________________________________

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