Controlling the Narrative: Euphemistic Language Affects Judgments of Actions While Avoiding Perceptions of Dishonesty

Across multiple studies, we demonstrate how euphemistic terms (e.g., enhanced interrogation) make actions appear more favorable. Increasing participants’ action-related knowledge reduced (but did not eliminate) this effect. Notably, despite their influence, the strategic use of euphemistic terms was judged as largely honest and was associated with minimal reputational costs.