Choice as justification for dishonesty

Felix Klimm and Florian Loipersberger

Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), 2019, vol. 81, issue C, 185-194

Abstract: In this paper, we set up a laboratory experiment to study whether dishonesty is affected by the presence of a choice. In particular, a participant has the choice to self-select into an interaction in which a potential liar can lie at his expense. As a consequence, the potential liar might excuse his dishonesty with the following self-serving justification. The other participant could have averted the lie by deciding against the interaction and thus is responsible for the outcome. We find that the introduction of a choice does not significantly increase the probability of dishonest behavior.

Keywords: Lying; Choice; Justification; Laboratory experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C91 D82 D90 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:soceco:v:81:y:2019:i:c:p:185-194

DOI: 10.1016/j.socec.2019.06.006

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