they were forced to give a distinct answer, they would lie. In
every case of this kind, where a child is concerned, the lie is
assumed to be a conscious one, and when on being submitted to a
strict cross-examination, he hesitates, becomes confused, and
blushes, it is looked upon as a proof that he knows he has been
telling an untruth, although as a rule there has been no
instance of untruthfulness, except the finally extorted
confession from the child that he has lied. Yet in all these
complicated psychological problems, corporal punishment is
treated as a solution.

The child who never hears lying at home, who does not see
exaggerated weight placed on small, merely external things, who
is not made cowardly by fear, who hears conscious lies always
spoken of with contempt, will get out of the habit of
untruthfulness simply by psychological means. First he will
find that untruthfulness causes astonishment, and a repetition
of it, scorn and lack of confidence. But these methods should
not be applied to untruthfulness caused by distress or by
richness of imagination; or to such cases as originate from the
obscure mental ideas noted above, ideas whose connection with
one another the child cannot make clear to himself. The cold
untruth on the other hand, must be punished; first by going
over it with the child, then letting him experience its effect
in lack of confidence, which will only be restored when the
child shows decided improvement in this regard. It is of the
greatest importance to show children full and unlimited
confidence, even though one quietly maintains an attitude of
alert watchfulness; for continuous and undeserved mistrust is
just as demoralising as blind and easy confidence.