NCJ Number
52100
Journal
BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY Volume: 16 Pages: 139-146
Date Published
1977
Length
8 pages
Annotation
THE THEORY THAT FINANCIAL DISHONESTY IS A RATIONAL DECISION IN WHICH THE LIKELIHOOD OF BEING DISHONEST INCREASES WITH THE UTILITY OF DISHONESTY AND DECREASES WITH ITS COST IS TESTED IN A FIELD EXPERIMENT.
Abstract
PEOPLE IN THE STREETS OF CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND, WERE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACCEPT DISHONESTLY A COIN FROM AN EXPERIMENTER UNDER TWO CONDITIONS OF UTILITY (LOW OR HIGH) AN TWO CONDITIONS OF COST (LOW OR HIGH). UTILITY WAS VARIED BY THE VALUE OF THE COIN, AND COST WAS VARIED BY THE EXPERIMENTER'S STATEMENT. (IN THE LOW COST CONDITION, THE EXPERIMENTER, OFFERING THE COIN TO THE SUBJECT, SAID, 'EXCUSE ME, I THINK YOU DROPPED THIS.' IN THE HIGH COST CONDITION, THE EXPERIMENTER SAID, 'EXCUSE ME, DID YOU DROP THIS?') OF THE 84 SUBJECTS TESTED, 31 FALSELY CLAIMED THE COIN. THE AGREEMENT WITH THE PREDICTION, MORE DISHONESTY OCCURRED IN THE LOW COST CONDITION. HOWEVER, THE UTILITY MANIPULATION HAD NO OVERALL EFFECT ON DISHONESTY. COST INTERACTED SIGNIFICANTLY WITH THE SEX OF THE EXPERIMENTER IN THAT THE COST MANIPULATION AFFECTED DISHONESTY ONLY WHEN THE EXPERIMENTER WAS MALE. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT HIGH UTILITY TENDED TO PRODUCE GREATER DISHONESTY IN THE LOW COST CONDITION THAN IN THE HIGH COST CONDITION. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE RESULTS DO NOT WHOLLY SUPPORT THE THEORY THAT FINANCIAL DISHONESTY INVOLVES A RATIONAL DECISION. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)