Speaking of Psychology is taking a summer break, so we're rerunning one of our favorite episodes from the past.

In January, I talked to psychologists Drew Curtis and Christian Hart about pathological liars.

What drives them? How you can recognize them and how you can protect yourself from being duped.

We hope you enjoy this episode from the

archives. Speaking of Psychology, we'll be back with new episodes on August 23rd. Thank you for

listening. Almost everyone lies occasionally. Even if you consider yourself scrupulously honest, you've probably told the occasional

fib. But for a small percentage of people, lying isn't something that they do every once in a while.

It's a way of life. Researchers have found that while most people tell between zero and two lies per day on average,

the most prolific liars might tell five, ten, or even twenty.

In recent weeks, the liar most in the news has been newly elected Representative George

Santos, whose long list of career embellishments, deceptions, and outright falsehoods came to light only after he won his seat.

Santos appears to have made up college degrees, real estate holdings, even Jewish ancestry, among his many other fabrications.

So what drives big liars to lie, and are their motivations different from those other people who lie less frequently?

Is pathological lying a mental health disorder? How common is it? And are liars more prevalent

in some professions like politics or sales, or those unfounded stereotypes? Are there differences

in lying between men and women, people of different

social backgrounds, or among people who consider themselves religious? And finally, how can you

recognize prolific liars in your life and protect yourself from being duped? Welcome to Speaking of

Psychology, the flagship podcast of the American Psychological Association

that examines the links between psychological science and everyday life.

I'm Kim Mills.

We have two guests today.

...