Until a few years ago most experts believed that young children couldn’t lie The late developmental psychologist Jean Piaget believed that children under 7 had trouble distinguishing between fantasy and reality and couldn’t be held accountable for untruths．But recent research indicates that children as young as 4 are quite capable of telling a deliberate lie to get out of trouble Researchers believe the fear of a parent’s disapproval discourages a very young child from lying．But by the age of 8，disapproval is not enough．A child should understand the consequences of the lie and the ways in which it destroys trust． A child who lies a lot may be asking for help．Recent research suggests that kids who are being treated for psychological problems lie almost three times as much as well—adjusted kids．A study in England in the early 1 970s showed that one third of the children identified as chronic liars by their parents ended up being convicted of theft later on．Other studies indicate that children who have manipulative personalities are skilled at telling lies to get what they want．Two decades ago researchers devised a morality test called a Mach scale They found that kids who scored high in Mach chayacteristics—cynicism，often lied to achieve their goals． How should honesty be taught?It seems that harsh punishment，thought by many parents to discourage lying，may actually increase it．“It creates a fear of punishment，rather than an internalized belief in moral behavior，”psychologist Paul Ekman says．To help a child realize the damage lying does．a parent might use tales like“The Boy Who Cried Wolf”for younger children and draw object lessons from the news，as the kids grow older． Just because parents learn why lies Occur doesn’t mean they should accept them．Psychologistsencourage parents to expect their children to be truthful．Ekman counsels parents to set a good example，avoiding even white lies as much as possible，and to stress the family’S bond of trust．He also reminds parents that they must remain compassionate“A terrible act，a desperate lie to concealit，needs to be punished，”he writes．“But it also needs to be forgiven．” Until a few years ago most experts believe that young children couldn’t lie because they are_________．