(Dis)honesty in the face of uncertain gains or losses

Wolfgang Steinel; Kalina Valtcheva; Jörg Gross; Jérémy Celse; Sylvain Max; Shaul Shalvi

doi:10.1016/j.joep.2022.102487

(Dis)honesty in the face of uncertain gains or losses

Wolfgang Steinel, Kalina Valtcheva, Jörg Gross, Jérémy Celse, Sylvain Max, Shaul Shalvi

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

We examine dishonest behavior in the face of potential uncertain gains and losses in three pre-studies (N = 150, N = 225, N = 188) and a main study (N = 240). Ample research has shown that people cheat when presented with the opportunity. We use a die-under-cup paradigm, in which participants could dishonestly report a private die roll and thereby increase the odds to obtain a desired outcome. Results showed that the framing of the uncertain situation mattered: Participants who lied to decrease the likelihood to experience a loss used major lies (i.e., reporting a ‘6’), while those who lied to increase the chance to achieve an equivalent gain used more modest lies.

Original language	English
Article number	102487
Journal	Journal of Economic Psychology
Volume	90
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2022.102487
State	Published - 1 Jun 2022
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Ethical Decision-Making
Framing
Lying
Uncertainty

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Sociology and Political Science
Applied Psychology
Economics and Econometrics

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10.1016/j.joep.2022.102487

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title = "(Dis)honesty in the face of uncertain gains or losses",

abstract = "We examine dishonest behavior in the face of potential uncertain gains and losses in three pre-studies (N = 150, N = 225, N = 188) and a main study (N = 240). Ample research has shown that people cheat when presented with the opportunity. We use a die-under-cup paradigm, in which participants could dishonestly report a private die roll and thereby increase the odds to obtain a desired outcome. Results showed that the framing of the uncertain situation mattered: Participants who lied to decrease the likelihood to experience a loss used major lies (i.e., reporting a {\textquoteleft}6{\textquoteright}), while those who lied to increase the chance to achieve an equivalent gain used more modest lies.",

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AU - Steinel, Wolfgang

AU - Valtcheva, Kalina

AU - Gross, Jörg

AU - Celse, Jérémy

AU - Max, Sylvain

AU - Shalvi, Shaul

PY - 2022/6/1

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N2 - We examine dishonest behavior in the face of potential uncertain gains and losses in three pre-studies (N = 150, N = 225, N = 188) and a main study (N = 240). Ample research has shown that people cheat when presented with the opportunity. We use a die-under-cup paradigm, in which participants could dishonestly report a private die roll and thereby increase the odds to obtain a desired outcome. Results showed that the framing of the uncertain situation mattered: Participants who lied to decrease the likelihood to experience a loss used major lies (i.e., reporting a ‘6’), while those who lied to increase the chance to achieve an equivalent gain used more modest lies.

AB - We examine dishonest behavior in the face of potential uncertain gains and losses in three pre-studies (N = 150, N = 225, N = 188) and a main study (N = 240). Ample research has shown that people cheat when presented with the opportunity. We use a die-under-cup paradigm, in which participants could dishonestly report a private die roll and thereby increase the odds to obtain a desired outcome. Results showed that the framing of the uncertain situation mattered: Participants who lied to decrease the likelihood to experience a loss used major lies (i.e., reporting a ‘6’), while those who lied to increase the chance to achieve an equivalent gain used more modest lies.

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KW - Framing

KW - Lying

KW - Uncertainty

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(Dis)honesty in the face of uncertain gains or losses

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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