Communication technologies are far from equivalent. A recent study comparing honesty across a range of different media revealed that people were twice likely to tell lies when using the phone than when communicating via e-mail. It had previously been assumed that people would be more inclined to fabricate the truth when using e-mail, due to the remoteness of the interaction making people more comfortable about deceiving others. On the contrary, it seems that anxiety over the accountability afforded by the recording of e-mail exchanges induces greater truthfulness. However, the research also noted that people are much more likely to be rude or insulting over e-mail, outweighing any benefits of increased honesty!
Question: An implication of the study is that if telephone conversations are recorded and people areaware of this fact, they are likely to be more truthful over the phone.
Options:
A. true, B. false, C. uncertain
Answer: A