Robert S. Feldman, PhD

Presentation: The Truth About Lying
Feldman’s talk will describe the surprising reality of lying in everyday life. He will discuss how deception and dishonesty play a large and surprisingly crucial role in our society, from the “white lies” of social niceties to the lies people tell with intent to deceive and mislead. He will also talk about the real reasons we tell lies and why we so readily accept the lies of others, how children learn the art of deception (and why it’s problematic if they don’t), and how a “culture of lies” pervades today’s society.

Speaker Background:
Feldman is professor of psychology and dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. A recipient of the College Distinguished Teacher Award, he also has taught courses at Mount Holyoke College, Wesleyan University, and Virginia Commonwealth University.

Feldman, who initiated both the Minority Mentoring Program and the Power Up for College Success Program at the University of Massachusetts, also has served as a Hewlett Teaching Fellow and Senior Online Teaching Fellow. A Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science, Feldman received a BA with high honors from Wesleyan University and an MS and PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a winner of a Fulbright Senior Research Scholar and Lecturer Award and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Wesleyan. He is on the Board of the FABBS and the president-elect of Fabbs.

He has written and edited more than 150 books, book chapters, and scientific articles. His textbooks, which have been used by more than two million students around the world, have been translated into Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, German, Italian, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.