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honesty
You only cheat when you can justify it to yourself.
A 2008 study found that participants were less likely to cheat when asked to recall the Ten Commandments, but cheated frequently when given subtle prompts to redefine their actions.
The research suggests we do not want to see ourselves as thieves. We cheat just enough to benefit, while maintaining a positive self-image. We manipulate the context of the situation until our actions feel acceptable.
Your ethics are surprisingly flexible when your self-image is at stake.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Mazar, Amir, and Ariely (2008), Journal of Marketing Research
- What the check found
- The study Mazar, Amir, and Ariely (2008) in the Journal of Marketing Research is accurately described. While the mechanism has been debated, the claim correctly identifies the original paper's conclusions.
- Confidence
- Well replicated
Related
One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.