We all know a bullshitter. They can shoot off explanations and rationales for just about anything — even if they don’t know what they’re talking about. They’re not liars, purposefully hiding the truth, but they certainly don’t care if what they’re saying is true or not. Scientists have studied the phenomenon before, digging into how we perceive bullshit and its consequences. But what makes us actually bullshit in the first place? That’s what psychologist John Petrocelli explores in a new paper in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, aptly titled “Antecedents of Bullshitting.”