Discovered Deception, Reactions to

The discovery of deception is generally presumed to be an intense, negative, emotional experience. In the classic novel The Count of Monte Cristo, for example, when Dantes deduces that his [Page 292]imprisonment is due to the lies of people he considered friends and allies, his response is such an all-consuming anger that he swears (and subsequently pursues) unfettered vengeance against his antagonists. Such a reaction is not limited to historical literature. Tales of violent reprisals in the wake of discovered deception dominate theatrical storylines, television shows, and real-world headlines.

The presumption of a negative reaction to discovered deception is not surprising when one considers the cognitive, relational, and emotional disruption that such events should evoke. Consider cognition: As Charles R. Berger and Richard J. Calabrese described four decades ago in their uncertainty reduction theory, people place great importance on believing that others are predictable and explainable. When people behave in ways that defy such beliefs (such as when deception is discovered), enormous anxiety ensues. This uncertainty centers around two dilemmas that dovetail with a lost sense of predictive and explanatory power: “How did I not see this coming?” and “Why did this happen to me?”

On the relational side, individuals in close involvements typically believe that they understand their partners, that their partners would never lie to them, and that if their partners did lie to them, they would be able to tell. Discovery of deception directly compromises all three of these convictions; hence, it is a devastating relationship event.

In addition, modern theories of emotion posit that intensity of affective experience directly corresponds to the degree to which events are interruptive of organized action sequences that guide individuals' daily behaviors, as well as higher-order goals and plans. Discovery of deception constitutes a radically interruptive event; consequently, it is intensely emotional.