Undergraduate Module Descriptor

SOC3115: Deception

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

  • Defining Deception
  • The Ethics of Deception
  • The Detection of Deception
  • Deception and Science
  • Deception and Art
  • Deception and War
  • Deception and Entertainment
  • Deception and Fraud

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
221280

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity2211 x 2-hour seminars (lecturer’s explanations, student participation and discussion)
Guided Independent Study24Preparing for the seminars
Guided independent study40Required reading
Guided Independent Study10Additional reading/research
Guided Independent Study54Preparation for and completion of essay and exam

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

Indicative Reading List

This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.

Basic readings:

Michael Pettit,The Science of Deception: Psychology and Commerce in America (Chicago: University of Chicago Press 2013).

James Ball, Post-truth: How Bullshit Conquered the World (London: Biteback 2017). 

Harry Frankfurt On Bullshit (London: Princeton University Press 2005).

Brian Martin, The Deceptive Activist (Sparsnäs, Sweden: Irene Publishing, 2017).

Paul Ekman, Telling Lies: Clues to Deceit in the Marketplace, Politics, and Marriage (New York: Norton, 1985/2009).

F. G. Bailey, The Prevalence of Deceit (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1991).

Dan Ariely, The (Honest) Truth about Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone — Especially Ourselves (New York:HarperCollins, 2012)

J. A. Barnes, A Pack of Lies: Towards a Sociology of Lying (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994).

Dariusz Galasi��ski, The Language of Deception: A Discourse Analytical Study (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage,2000).

Jon Latimer, Deception in War (London: John Murray, 2001).

Steven Poole, Unspeak™ (London: Little, Brown, 2006).

David Shulman, From Hire to Liar: The Role of Deception in the Workplace (Ithaca, NY: ILR Press, 2007).

Aldert Vrij, Detecting Lies and Deceit: Pitfalls and Opportunities, 2nd edition (Chichester, West Sussex: JohnWiley & Sons, 2008).