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STUDENTS AT THIS year’s BT Young Scientist Exhibition are looking into all sorts of things this year – from how to provide air conditioning for bees, to the best way to keep cattle sheds clean (both of these are real).
Some of the participants are tackling issues more likely to preoccupy secondary school students, however: for instance, who’s better at lying – boys or girls?
Linda Toomey and Megan Byrne spoke to a psychologist as part of their research before setting out to seek an answer to their question: ‘Is the potential for dishonesty affected or determined by one’s gender?’.
Their testing methods included a lengthy questionnaire, backed up by a lie detector test (with a twist).
The girls – from St Wolstan’s in Kildare – explain all, in the clip below:
Says Megan:
Our main method for finding our results was our survey. It had more than 40 questions – I think around 46.
The psychologist explained to the girls that they’d arrive at more accurate results if they asked questions over a range of categories.
“So that’s, like, interpersonal with friends, family and strangers – as well as achievements, because boys might be more likely to lie about achievements.
Once we got those results we got around 20% of our survey sample to complete a lie detector test, and that just confirmed our results for us.
The girls also employed an old-fashioned steady hand buzzer game to underpin the results of their lie detector, as a kind of ‘triple lock’ on their results.
Linda explains:
We did four rounds with the lie detector. For two rounds, the participant would do the buzzer game because it would take their concentration off the lying. So it’s harder to deceive the lie detector when you’re not concentrating.
The results? Says Megan:
“We found men lie 3% more often than women, and they were also better at lying.
We were right in our thinking that women would lie more on emotional grounds and men would lie more to make themselves to seem superior – so about sporting achievements and things.
Daragh Brophy / TwitterAre boys better liars than girls? According to the girls at St Wolstans... yes. #BTYSTE pic.twitter.com/znH4jSTQl5
— Daragh Brophy (@DaraghBroph) January 6, 2016
Scientific proof at last that males are better liars than females…
Then again, the girls’ results only cover 12- to 18-year-olds – so let’s settle this once and for all, for the grown-ups:
(Video by Michael Sheils McNamee)
It’s not often I’m lost for some awkward sort of jumble of words on these occasions. But I won’t even try here. God help all his family and friends.
Poor young lad. Spare a thought for the other kids who witnessed this tragedy as well. RIP
@Connor Coady: god the poor lad who took the shot. God love them all .. so sad..
@Connor Coady: and the poor kid that hit that sliotar. How must they be feeling, knowing that their actions led to the death of a friend? Especially when it appears to have been purely accidental?
RIP young man. Condolences to your heart broken family and friends.
RIP little guy. Just too heartbreaking for words xx
Godspeed Harry Byrne, deepest condolences to family and friends
What an awful awful tragedy. Words fail me. RIP young man & may god help his family & friends.
RIP. What a tragic accident at such a young age, so deeply sad for all concerned.
Ar dheis Dè go raibh a anam dìlis…
RIP
RIP Harry.
Terrible loss of a young life RIP
So sad. RIP
Rest in Peace young man. Thoughts with family and friends
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