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

Toke Reinholt Fosgaard; Lars Gårn Hansen; Marco Piovesan

doi:10.1016/j.jebo.2013.03.027

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

Toke Reinholt Fosgaard, Lars Gårn Hansen, Marco Piovesan

56 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

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.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Tidsskrift	Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization
Vol/bind	93
Sider (fra-til)	279-284
Antal sider	6
ISSN	0167-2681
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2013.03.027
Status	Udgivet - sep. 2013

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title = "Separating Will from Grace: an experiment on conformity and awareness in cheating",

abstract = "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 2 × 2 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.",

keywords = "Faculty of Social Sciences, Cheating, Norms, Conformity, Awareness, gender differences",

author = "Fosgaard, {Toke Reinholt} and Hansen, {Lars G{\aa}rn} and Marco Piovesan",

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doi = "10.1016/j.jebo.2013.03.027",

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T2 - an experiment on conformity and awareness in cheating

AU - Fosgaard, Toke Reinholt

AU - Hansen, Lars Gårn

AU - Piovesan, Marco

N1 - JEL classification: D63; K42; D81

PY - 2013/9

Y1 - 2013/9

N2 - 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 2 × 2 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.

AB - 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 2 × 2 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.

KW - Faculty of Social Sciences

KW - Cheating

KW - Norms

KW - Conformity

KW - Awareness

KW - gender differences

U2 - 10.1016/j.jebo.2013.03.027

DO - 10.1016/j.jebo.2013.03.027

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0167-2681

VL - 93

SP - 279

EP - 284

JO - Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization

JF - Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization

ER -

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

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