June 22, 2026

What if punishing a child for lying makes them more likely to hide the truth next time?

Parents often turn to strict discipline because they want to teach children right from wrong. However, new research from the NUS Department of Psychology suggests that harsh or overly controlling parenting may have the opposite effect. Rather than producing more honest children, it could contribute to cheating and lying by making children more fearful of mistakes and more critical of themselves.

In two long-term studies of Singaporean families, Associate Professor Ding Xiao Pan and Liwen Yu, together with Associate Professor Ryan Y. Hong for the second study, examined how parenting styles shape children’s dishonest behaviours across early and middle childhood. Their findings challenge the common belief that stricter parenting naturally leads to better rule-following. Instead, the studies show that children exposed to authoritarian parenting or harsh punishment may become more likely to cheat or lie as a way of coping with pressure, self-doubt, and fear of punishment.

The first study, ‘Authoritarian parenting at 4.5 years predicts children’s cheating at 6 years: The mediating role of children’s self-criticism’ (Child Development, 2026), followed 479 families from the Growing Up in Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) birth cohort study. The researchers assessed parenting styles when the children were 4.5 years old, then measured cheating behaviour about a 1.5 years later through a dart game. They found that children whose fathers were stricter and more controlling were more likely to cheat at age 6. These children also tended to be more self-critical, suggesting that the pressure to avoid mistakes or appear ‘good’ may lead them to dishonest behaviour.

The second study, ‘Longitudinal associations between parental negative control and children’s deceptive behavior: The mediating role of children’s dysfunctional attitudes’ (Developmental Psychology, 2025), followed 302 Singaporean families with children aged 7 to 9. It examined different forms of negative parental control, including harsh punishment, discipline, and ignoring. Of these, harsh punishment — such as slapping or spanking — was most strongly linked to increases in lying and cheating over time. The study also found a troubling cycle: harsh punishment at age 7 predicted more deceptive behaviour at age 8, while children’s deceptive behaviour at age 8 predicted harsher punishment from parents at age 9.

Notably, the researchers do not suggest that children lie simply out of defiance. Instead, both studies point to the psychological pressures children may internalise under strict or punitive parenting. Children who believe they must perform well to be liked, or who feel they cannot afford to make mistakes, may turn to lying as a way to protect themselves from criticism, disappointment, or further punishment.

Singapore offers a particularly meaningful context for these studies, as strict and obedience-oriented parenting remains familiar to many families. However, the findings suggest that even in contexts where firm discipline may be culturally accepted, harsh punishment can still carry risks for children’s moral development. The issue is not only whether children obey rules, but how they come to understand themselves, mistakes, and honesty.

The authors therefore call for a shift in how parents and educators respond to children’s dishonesty. Harsher punishment may seem like the most direct response, but it can deepen the very fears and self-critical attitudes that encourage children to hide the truth. A more constructive approach would address the emotional roots of dishonesty by helping children feel safe enough to admit mistakes, learn from them, and understand why honesty matters.

Read the NUS News article here.

Read the ‘Authoritarian parenting at 4.5 years predicts children’s cheating at 6 years: The mediating role of children’s self-criticism’ (Child Development, 2026) here.

Read ’Longitudinal associations between parental negative control and children’s deceptive behavior: The mediating role of children’s dysfunctional attitudes’ (Developmental Psychology, 2025) here.