Paltering is the active use of selective truthful statements to mislead.
The term as applied in psychology and
mediation
Mediation is a structured, interactive process where an impartial third party neutral assists disputing parties in resolving conflict through the use of specialized communication and negotiation techniques. All participants in mediation are ...
studies was developed by researchers at the
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public a ...
in the late 2000s. The first known use of ''palter'' to describe acting insincerely or deceitfully was in the 1580s.
Paltering is considered both more serious and more common than a
lie of omission
A lie is an assertion that is believed to be false, typically used with the purpose of deceiving or misleading someone. The practice of communicating lies is called lying. A person who communicates a lie may be termed a liar. Lies can be int ...
(a passive failure to correct a wrong statement).
Paltering differs from a lie of omission in the following way, as described by
Todd Rogers
Todd Jonathan Rogers (born September 30, 1973) is an American professional beach volleyball player who is an Olympic and FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship gold medalist. He and his former partner, Phil Dalhausser, were the 2007, 2008, 20 ...
of the Kennedy School: When selling a used car with engine trouble, a lie of omission would be a silent failure to correct a buyer who said, "I presume the car is in excellent shape and the engine runs well", while paltering would involve deceiving the buyer with a statement such as "I drove it yesterday in 10-below temperatures and it drove well".
People who palter often believe it is less
unethical
Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns ...
than outright
lying
A lie is an assertion that is believed to be false, typically used with the purpose of deceiving or misleading someone. The practice of communicating lies is called lying. A person who communicates a lie may be termed a liar. Lies can be inter ...
.
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Usage
Paltering appears to be common in negotiations. More than half of 184 business executives surveyed in a study by the Kennedy School admitted that they had paltered. Among those who did, most told the researchers they paltered to get a better deal. But the practice is risky, because when it is caught, it causes conflict, reduces trust and undermines rel