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Leveling the playing field: Dishonesty in the face of threat

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  • Atanasov, Pavel
  • Dana, Jason

Abstract

We examined the effects of framing and perceived vulnerability on dishonest behavior in competitive environments. Participants were randomly matched into pairs and took a short multiple-choice test, the relative score of which determined their merit-based payoffs. After learning about the test scores, participants were asked to report them, thus affecting the final payoffs. Framing was varied as participants could either report their own scores or the scores of their counterparts. The presence of threat, or vulnerability to other players’ dishonesty, was varied as either one or both players in a pair could misreport scores. Participants who reported their counterparts’ scores were more likely to report honestly than participants who entered their own score. Participants, whose payoffs were threatened by their opponents’ misreporting, were more likely to cheat to the fullest extent. Furthermore, we found that framing significantly reduced misreporting in the absence, but not in the presence of threat. Results suggest that when actors feel vulnerable to other people’s dishonesty they would often cheat as much as they can in order to “level the playing field”, even when they strongly disapprove of the behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Atanasov, Pavel & Dana, Jason, 2011. "Leveling the playing field: Dishonesty in the face of threat," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 809-817.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:joepsy:v:32:y:2011:i:5:p:809-817
    DOI: 10.1016/j.joep.2011.07.006
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    Cited by:

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    2. Corgnet, Brice & Martin, Ludivine & Ndodjang, Peguy & Sutan, Angela, 2019. "On the merit of equal pay: Performance manipulation and incentive setting," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 23-45.
    3. Buckle, Georgia E. & Füllbrunn, Sascha & Luhan, Wolfgang J., 2021. "Lying for others: The impact of agency on misreporting," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
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    5. Catrine Jacobsen & Toke Reinholt Fosgaard & David Pascual†Ezama, 2018. "Why Do We Lie? A Practical Guide To The Dishonesty Literature," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(2), pages 357-387, April.
    6. Alessandro Bucciol & Simona Cicognani & Natalia Montinari, 2020. "Cheating in university exams: the relevance of social factors," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 67(3), pages 319-338, September.
    7. Maria Teresa Garcia & João Pedro Vargues Simões, 2023. "O desempenho financeiro das empresas e o desdobramento de ações – o caso das empresas do índice S&P500," Working Papers Department of Economics 2023/03, ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management, Department of Economics, Universidade de Lisboa.
    8. Carlos Lourenco & Sandra Maximiano & Camilla Zallot, 2022. "The effect of range of outcomes and magnitude of rewards on lying behavior in anonymous dice-under-cup trials," Working Papers Department of Economics 2022/03, ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management, Department of Economics, Universidade de Lisboa.
    9. Alessandro Bucciol & Simona Cicognani & Natalia Montinari, 2017. "Cheating in Academia: The Relevance of Social Factors," Working Papers 15/2017, University of Verona, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Dishonesty; Cheating; Ethical decision making; Behavioral ethics; Framing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles

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