View/Open

danger when a life is threatened. Bok (1978: 40) adds where innocent lives are at stake; lies are morallyjustified, ifindeed they are lies in the first place.According to wss and Seiter (2003: 260) deception is a form of persuasion. E\'en from thestandpoint of pure cases of persuasion, deception involves an intentional attempt to get someone tobelieve what the liar knows to be false. Gass and Seiter (2003: 173) demonstrate that nonverbalcommunication plavs an important role in creating impressions of ourselves as powerful, authoritative,credible or attracti\'e.,',Iy study will show that persuasion is the central feature of every sphere of humancommunication, and is an indispensable ingredient in a number of professions. In this regard Gass andSeiter (2003: 4) state that the so-called people-professions -politics, law, social work, counselling,business management, advertising, sales, public relations, and the ministry - might as well be calledpersuasion professions. Gass and Sciter (2003: 4) have similarlv indicated that psychologists,demographers, artists, \vriters, marketers and business leaders collaborate to create messages expresslyintended to shape opinions and change our behaviour.OVERVIEWIS not.This study focuses decepti\'e communication; when it is legitimate to deceive others and when itIn this chapter, I state the problems that will be investigated. the aims of the reseatch and theresearch methodologv used to find solutions to the problemsChapter 2 defines and discusses the key concepts relating to nlY research regarding deceptivecommurucatlon.In chapter 3, I discuss a theoretical framework for the study of decepti\-e beha\iour that enablesone to do research on conceptual as well as communicative aspeCts of deception.In chapter 4, I focus on the process of communication shO\\IDg that that currentcommunication problems result from bias and misinformation, as well as from deliberate deception.In chapter S,I examine deception in animals shO\\IDg that deception in animals is notintentional, but a strategy evohTd for the preservation of the species.