Verbal and Nonverbal Dynamics of Privacy, Secrecy, and Deceit

Bella M. DePaulo, Chris Wetzel, R. Weylin Sternglanz, Molly J. Walker Wilson
2003 Journal of Social Issues  
We discuss the ways in which deception can be used to protect privacy, as well as the ways in which claims to privacy can provide the latitude to lie. In their attempts to maintain their own privacy and their secrets, people can be assisted by others who overlook their lies. Habits of honoring other people's verbal and nonverbal claims about themselves, even when they are not totally convincing, and expectations of similar indulgences from others can keep interactions from getting derailed by
more » ... all interpersonal bumps. But they also enable exploitation in the form of frauds and scams. Our interest is in the practice of privacy, secrecy, and deceit in the ways that have been available to humans throughout history: in what they say (or do not say) and how they say it. The focus of our analysis is the ways in which privacy can be protected by verbal and nonverbal expressions rather than fences or firewalls. Our original aim was to explore the role of deception in regulating privacy and invading it. But we soon discovered that privacy and deceit could not speak clearly
doi:10.1111/1540-4560.00070 fatcat:o6w7pfb2gnfxrk2ivaxltihqhi