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

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

Journal of Economic Psychology, 2022, vol. 90, issue C

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.

Keywords: Lying; Ethical Decision-Making; Uncertainty; Framing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:joepsy:v:90:y:2022:i:c:s016748702200006x

DOI: 10.1016/j.joep.2022.102487

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