Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 4 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-29 |
| Journal | Latin American Economic Review |
| Volume | 34 |
| Publication status | Published - 15 Feb 2025 |
Abstract
Keywords
- Lying, Moral costs, Mind game, Charity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Economics, Econometrics and Finance(all)
- General Economics,Econometrics and Finance
Cite this
- Standard
- Harvard
- Apa
- Vancouver
- BibTeX
- RIS
In: Latin American Economic Review, Vol. 34, 4, 15.02.2025, p. 1-29.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - How do the consequences on others affect dishonest behavior? Evidence from an online experiment in Mexico
AU - Triberti, Giuliana
AU - Soto-Mota, Pablo
AU - Vargas López, Adrian
AU - Serra-Barragán, Luis Alberto
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © Open access journal published by Centro de Investigaci´on y Docencia Econ´omicas. All rights reserved.
PY - 2025/2/15
Y1 - 2025/2/15
N2 - Dishonesty harms economic performance and growth. However, the literature on dishonesty has used almost exclusively samples from developed countries. In addition, previous studies present non-conclusive results on how concerns for others affect lying behaviour. In view of this gap in the evidence, the present study explores how the decision to be dishonest changes when it affects a charity. In an experiment involving 555 participants in Mexico, subjects could lie about the result of a dice roll without any possibility of detection. We contrast a situation without incentives to three conditions that differ in how dishonesty affected the charity. Deceitful behaviour increased when participants could benefit from it. Also, participants lied less when they received benefits at the expense of the charity, but they did not lie more when they could help it. Our results suggest that making salient how dishonesty harms others might help reduce its negative effects in society.
AB - Dishonesty harms economic performance and growth. However, the literature on dishonesty has used almost exclusively samples from developed countries. In addition, previous studies present non-conclusive results on how concerns for others affect lying behaviour. In view of this gap in the evidence, the present study explores how the decision to be dishonest changes when it affects a charity. In an experiment involving 555 participants in Mexico, subjects could lie about the result of a dice roll without any possibility of detection. We contrast a situation without incentives to three conditions that differ in how dishonesty affected the charity. Deceitful behaviour increased when participants could benefit from it. Also, participants lied less when they received benefits at the expense of the charity, but they did not lie more when they could help it. Our results suggest that making salient how dishonesty harms others might help reduce its negative effects in society.
KW - Lying
KW - Moral costs
KW - Mind game
KW - Charity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85219578052&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.60758/laer.v34i.247
DO - 10.60758/laer.v34i.247
M3 - Article
VL - 34
SP - 1
EP - 29
JO - Latin American Economic Review
JF - Latin American Economic Review
SN - 2198-3526
M1 - 4
ER -