pathology of lying-第1节

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Pathology　of　Lying；　Etc。

by　William　and　Mary　Healy





PATHOLOGICAL　LYING；　ACCUSATION；　AND　SWINDLING　A　STUDY　IN　FORENSIC　PSYCHOLOGY




DIRECTOR；　PSYCHOPATHIC　INSTITUTE；　JUVENILE　COURT；　CHICAGO　ASSOCIATE　PROFESSOR　NERVOUS　AND　MENTAL　DISEASES　CHICAGO　POLICLINIC；　AUTHOR　OF　‘‘THE　INDIVIDUAL　DELINQUENT''　AND


MARY　TENNEY　HEALY；　B。L。





TO　MERRITT　W。　PINCKNEY　JUDGE　OF　THE　JUVENILE　COURT　CHICAGO

‘‘Bonus　et　sapiens　et　peritus　utilitatis　dignitatisque　civilis。''



EDITORIAL　ANNOUNCEMENT

This　volume　is　one　of　a　series　of　Monograph　Supplements　to　the　Journal　of　Criminal　Law　and　Criminology。　　The　publication　of　the　Monographs　is　authorized　by　the　American　Institute　of　Criminal　Law　and　Criminology。　　Such　a　series　has　become　necessary　in　America　by　reason　of　the　rapid　development　of　criminological　research　in　this　country　since　the　organization　of　the　Institute。　　Criminology　draws　upon　many　independent　branches　of　science；　such　as　Psychology；　Anthropology；　Neurology；　Medicine；　Education；　Sociology；　and　Law。　　These　sciences　contribute　to　our　understanding　of　the　nature　of　the　delinquent　and　to　our　knowledge　of　those　conditions　in　home；　occupation；　school；　prison；　etc。；　which　are　best　adapted　to　elicit　the　behavior　that　the　race　has　learned　to　approve　and　cherish。

This　series　of　Monographs；　therefore；　will　include　researches　in　each　of　these　departments　of　knowledge　insofar　as　they　meet　our　special　interest。

It　is　confidently　anticipated　that　the　series　will　stimulate　the　study　of　the　problems　of　delinquency；　the　State　control　of　which　commands　as　great　expenditure　of　human　toil　and　treasure　as　does　the　control　of　constructive　public　education。

ROBERT　H。　GAULT；　Editor　of　the　Journal　of　Criminal　　　　　　　COMMITTEE　ON　PUBLICATION　　　Law　and　Criminology；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　OF　THE　　　Northwestern　University。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　AMERICAN　INSTITUTE　FREDERIC　B。　CROSSLEY；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　OF　CRIMINAL　　　Northwestern　University。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　LAW　AND　CRIMINOLOGY。　JAMES　W。　GARNER；　　　University　of　Illinois。



PREFACE

Careful　studies　of　offenders　make　group…types　stand　out　with　distinctness。　　Very　little　advancement　in　the　treatment　of　delinquents　or　criminals　can　be　expected　if　typical　characteristics　and　their　bearings　are　not　understood。　　The　group　that　our　present　work　concerns　itself　with　is　comparatively　little　known；　although　cases　belonging　to　it；　when　met；　attract　much　attention。　　It　is　to　all　who　should　be　acquainted　with　these　striking　mental　and　moral　vagaries；　particularly　in　their　forensic　and　psychological　significances；　that　our　essay　is　addressed。　　In　some　cases　vital　for　the　administration　of　justice；　an　understanding　of　the　types　of　personality　and　of　behavior　here　under　discussion　is　a　prime　necessity。

The　whole　study　of　characterology　or　the　motivation　of　conduct　is　extremely　new；　and　there　are　many　indications　of　immense　values　in　uncovered　fields。　　Some　appreciation　of　this　fact　may　be　gained　from　the　following　pages　which　show　the　possibility　of　tracing　one　form　of　behavior　to　its　source。

We　have　laid　under　contribution　practically　the　entire　literature　on　the　subject；　almost　none　of　which　is　in　English；　and　also　the　thorough…going　longitudinal　case　studies　made　by　the　Juvenile　Psychopathic　Institute　of　Chicago。　　In　the　latter　material　there　was　found　much　of　value　bearing　upon　the　subject　of　lying；　false　accusation；　and　swindling　of　pathological　character。

Our　institute；　later　taken　over　officially　by　the　Juvenile　Court　of　Cook　County；　was　for　five　years　maintained　upon　a　foundation　provided　by　Mrs。　W。　F。　Dummer。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

WILLIAM　HEALY　MARY　TENNEY　HEALY

WINNETKA；　ILL。　　　　　　June；　1915。



CONTENTS

CHAPTER　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　EDITORIAL　ANNOUNCEMENT　　　　　　PREFACE　I。　　　INTRODUCTION　II。　　PREVIOUS　STUDIES　III。　CASES　OF　PATHOLOGICAL　LYING　AND　SWINDLING　IV。　　CASES　OF　PATHOLOGICAL　ACCUSATION　V。　　　CASES　OF　PATHOLOGICAL　LYING　IN　BORDER…LINE　MENTAL　TYPES　VI。　　CONCLUSIONS　　　　　　INDEX　OF　AUTHORS　　　　　　INDEX　OF　TOPICS





PATHOLOGICAL　LYING；　ACCUSATION；　AND　SWINDLING



CHAPTER　I

INTRODUCTION

Through　comparison　of　the　literature　on　pathological　lying　with　our　own　extensive　material　we　are　led　to　perceive　the　insistent　necessity　for　closer　definition　of　the　subject　than　has　been　heretofore　offered。　　Reasons　for　excluding　types　earlier　described　as　pathological　liars　will　be　found　throughout　our　work。　　Better　definition　goes　hand　in　hand　with　better　understanding；　and　it　is　only　natural　that　formal；　detailed　contemplation　of　the　subject　should　lead　to　seeing　new　lines　of　demarcation。

Definition：　　Pathological　lying　is　falsification　entirely　disproportionate　to　any　discernible　end　in　view；　engaged　in　by　a　person　who；　at　the　time　of　observation；　cannot　definitely　be　declared　insane；　feebleminded；　or　epileptic。　　Such　lying　rarely；　if　ever；　centers　about　a　single　event；　although　exhibited　in　very　occasional　cases　for　a　short　time；　it　manifests　itself　most　frequently　by　far　over　a　period　of　years；　or　even　a　life　time。　　It　represents　a　trait　rather　than　an　episode。　　Extensive；　very　complicated　fabrications　may　be　evolved。　　This　has　led　to　the　synonyms：mythomania；　pseudologia　phantastica。

It　is　true　that　in　the　previous　literature；　under　the　head　of　pathological　liars；　cases　of　epilepsy；　insanity；　and　mental　defect　have　been　cited；　but　that　is　misleading。　　A　clear　terminology　should　be　adopted。　　The　pathological　liar　forms　a　species　by　himself　and　as　such　does　not　necessarily　belong　to　any　of　these　larger　classes。　　It　is；　of　course；　scientifically　permissible；　as　well　as　practically　valuable；　to　speak　of　the　epileptic　or　the　otherwise　abnormal　person　through　his　disease　engaging　in　pathological　lying；　but　the　main　classification　of　an　individual　should　be　decided　by　the　main　abnormal　condition。

A　good　definition　of　pathological　accusation　follows　the　above　lines。　　It　is　false　accusation　indulged　in　apart　from　any　obvious　purpose。　　Like　the　swindling　of　pathological　liars；　it　appears　objectively　more　pernicious　than　the　lying；　but　it　is　an　expression　of　the　same　tendency。　　The　most　striking　form　of　this　type　of　conduct　is；　of　course；　self…accusation。　　Mendacious　self…　impeachment　seems　especially　convincing　of　abnormality。　　Such　falsification　not　infrequently　is　episodic。

The　inclusion　of　swindling　in　our　discussion　is　due　to　the　natural　evolution　of　this　type　of　conduct　from　pathological　lying。　　Swindling　itself　could　hardly　be　called　a　pathological　phenomenon；　since　it　is　readily　explicable　by　the　fact　that　it　is　entered　into　for　reasons　of　tangible　gain；　but　when　it　is　the　product　of　the　traits　shown　by　a　pathological　liar　it；　just　as　the　lying　itself；　is　a　part　of　the　pathological　picture。　　It　is　the　most　concrete　expression　of　the　individual's　tendencies。　　This　has　been　agreed　to　by　several　writers；　for　all　have　found　it　easy　to　trace　the　development　of　one　form　of　behavior　into　the　other。　　As　Wulffen　says；　‘‘Die　Gabe　zu　Schwindeln　ist　eine　‘Lust　am　Fabulieren。'　''　　Over　and　over　again　we　have　observed　the　phenomenon　as　the　pathological　liar　gradually　developed　the　tendency　to　swindle。

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