Separating Will from Grace: an experiment on conformity and awareness in cheating

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningfagfællebedømt

In this paper we investigate if people cheat more when they observe their peers cheating because they conform or because they become aware that cheating is something to actively consider. In our experiment subjects toss a coin in private and report the outcome (white or black). We reward only those who report white and leave them the possibility to cheat without being discovered. In our 2x2 experimental design, we manipulated subjects’ report sheet to i) suggest (or not) that cheating is an option; ii) suggest that their peers were honest (or dishonest). We find that increasing awareness of cheating as an option significantly increases the probability that women cheat; whereas men – who are already aware that cheating is an option - are not affected. When we suggest that peers have cheated, men cheat significantly more, whereas women do not.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftJournal of Economic Behavior & Organization
Vol/bind93
Sider (fra-til)279-284
Antal sider6
ISSN0167-2681
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2013

Bibliografisk note

JEL classification: D63; K42; D81

ID: 41934238