按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Notwithstanding the grave and sensational social issues which arise out of pathological lying； accusation； and swindling； there is very little acquaintance with the characteristics of cases showing this type of behavior； even by the people most likely to meet the problems presented。 Lawyers； or other professional specialists have slight knowledge of the subject。 Perhaps this is due to the fact that the pathological lying does not follow the usual lines of abnormal human behavior； unless it be among the insane where other symptoms proclaim the true nature of the case。 Another reason for the slight acquaintance with the subject is the fact that almost nothing has been written on it in English。
The important part which behavior of this type sometimes plays in court work is witnessed to by the records of our own cases as well as those cited in the previous literature。 The legal issues presented by pathological lying may be exceedingly costly。 These facts make it important that the well…equipped lawyer； as well as the student of abnormal psychology； be familiar with the specific； related facts。 For such students the cardinal point of recognition of this class of conduct may at once be stated to be its apparent baselessness。
The only method by which good understanding may be obtained of the types of personality and mentality involved in pathological lying； accusation； and swindling； as well as of the genetics of these tendencies； is by the detailed reading of typical case histories。 In this fact is found the reason for the presentation of this monograph。 Appreciation of the nature of the phenomena can only be obtained through acquaintance with an entire career。 Any of us may be confronted by fabrications so consistent as to leave at one or several interviews the impression of truth。
Our selection of literature to summarize needs no explanation。 We have simply taken all that we could find which specifically bears on the problem。 Lying； in general； especially as a form of delinquency； has received attention at the hands of some authors； notably Ferriani＇1＇ and Duprat。＇2＇ The falsifications and phantasies of children and adolescents have been dealt with by Stanley Hall。＇3＇ None of these goes into the important； narrower field with which we are here concerned。 The foreign literature is vitally important in its opening up of the subject； but from the standpoint of modern psychopathology it does not adequately cover the ground。
＇1＇ Ferriani； Lino； ‘‘L'Enfance criminelle。'' Milan； 1894。 （Trans。 Minderjahrige Verbrecher。 Berlin； 1896。）
＇2＇ Duprat； G。…L。； ‘‘Le mensonge。'' Alcan； Paris； 1903。
＇3＇ Hall； G。 Stanley； ‘‘Children's Lies。'' Amer。 Journal of Psychology； Jan。 1890； pp。 59…70。
The fabrications； often quite clever； of the clearly insane； which in earlier literature are confounded with pathological lying； we have discriminated against as not being profitable for us to discuss here； while not denying； however； the possibility in some instances of lies coexisting with actual delusions。 We well remember a patient； a brilliant conversationalist and letter writer； but an absolutely frank case of paranoia； whom we had not seen for a period during which she had concocted a new set of notions involving even her own claim to royal blood； confronting us with a merry； significant smile and the remark； ‘‘You don't believe my new stories； do you？''
A short statement on the relation of lying to delinquency may be of interest here。 Ferriani's discussion＇4＇ of the lying of 500 condemned juvenile offenders； with classification of their lies； ranging from self…defense； weakness； and fancy； to nobility of purpose； does not include our field。 Nor does he leave much room for appreciation of the fact we very definitely have observed； namely； that plenty of young offenders are robust speakers of the truth。 Our analysis＇5＇ of the delinquencies of 1000 young repeated offenders carefully studied by us does not tell the proportion of truth tellers as distinguished from liars； but it does give the number in which lying was a notable and excessive trait。 The total number of males studied was 694； of females 306。 Ages ranged from 6 to 22； average about 16 years。
＇4＇ loc。 cit。
＇5＇ Vide p。 140； in chapter on Statistics； William Healy； ‘‘The Individual Delinquent。'' Little； Brown； and Co。 Boston； 1915。
MALES FEMALES
Lyingcounted only when excessive and a 104 80 notorious characteristic of the individual； （15％） （26％） False accusationsonly recorded when of an 5 16 excessive and dangerous sort； （。7％） （5％）
The exact number of pathological liars is not determinable in our series because of the shading of this lying into other types。 It would be safe to say that 8 or 10 of the 1000 were genuine cases of pathological lying according to our definition； that 5 more engaged in pathological false accusations without a notorious career in other kinds of lying。 Examples of borderline mental cases showing fantastic lying and accusations are given in our special chapter。 Some of the cases of pathological lying given in this work do not belong to the series of 1000 cases analyzed for statistical purposes。 The extraordinary number of times several of these individuals appeared in court （resembling in this respect the European case histories） shows that the total amount of trouble caused by this class is not in the least represented by their numerical proportion among offenders。
We have purposely limited our own material for presentation。 Here； as elsewhere； we insist on the value of genetics and consequently have busied ourselves at length with those cases where we could gain something like an adequate conception of the antecedents in family and developmental histories and where some measure of the psychogenetic features could be taken。 Cases of older individuals with their prolonged and often picturesque careers； equivalent to those recounted in European literature； we have left strictly alone。 One ever finds that the older the individual the less one can learn satisfactorily of beginnings of tendencies； just on account of the unreliability of the principal actor in the drama。 The cases of older swindlers at first sight seem to offer much for the student of criminalistics； if only for purely descriptive purposes； but in the literature we have failed to find any satisfactory studies of the formative years of such careers。 By taking instances of younger pathological liars； such as we have studied； the natural progress into swindling can be readily seen。
In court work we have been brought face to face with many cases of false accusation and； of course； with plenty of the usual kind of lying。 Where either of these has been entered into by way of revenge or in belief that it would aid in getting out of trouble； no further attention has been paid to it from the standpoint of pathological lying。 Our acquaintance with some professional criminals； particularly of the sneak…thief or pick…pocket class； has taught us that living conditions for the indi