Honesty, rule violation and cognitive ability: A reply to Gächter and Schulz

Heiner Rindermann, David Becker and James Thompson

Intelligence, 2018, vol. 68, issue C, 66-69

Abstract: Gächter and Schulz (2016) assumed an effect of institutional rule violation on individual honesty within societies. In this reply we challenge this approach by including a nation's cognitive ability as a further factor for cross-national variations in the prevalence of rule violations and intrinsic honesty. Theoretical considerations, correlational and path analyses show that a nation's cognitive ability level (on average β = |.62|) better explains and predicts honesty and rule violation. While institutional and cultural factors are not unimportant, cognitive factors are more relevant.

Date: 2018
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:intell:v:68:y:2018:i:c:p:66-69

DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2018.03.005

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