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Cheating at the Top: Trait Dominance Explains Dishonesty More Consistently Than Social Power
Kyoo-Hwa Kim1, Ana Guinote1,2
1University College London, UK.
Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|October 18, 2021
Summary
Dominance, not just power, predicts dishonest behavior. Dominant individuals, often found in powerful positions, may self-select into roles, explaining the link between power and dishonesty.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- The association between power and dishonesty is a persistent theme in social science.
- Previous research has often treated power as a monolithic construct, overlooking nuanced individual differences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distinct roles of personal dominance, occupational power, and felt prestige in predicting dishonest behavior.
- To explore whether dominance mediates the relationship between occupational power and dishonesty.
- To examine the influence of these factors on various forms of dishonesty, including incentivized tasks, moral disengagement, and rule-breaking.
Main Methods:
- Conducted five studies with a total of 1,366 participants.
- Utilized incentivized tasks, self-report measures of moral disengagement, and assessments of adherence to Covid-19 containment rules.
- Employed correlational and mediation analyses to examine the relationships between dominance, power, prestige, and dishonesty.
Main Results:
- Dominance was consistently and positively associated with dishonesty across multiple studies.
- Dominance mediated the relationship between occupational power and dishonest behavior in real-world settings.
- Different forms of power showed inconsistent effects on dishonesty, while prestige was unrelated.
- Dominant individuals were found to be overrepresented in positions of power.
Conclusions:
- Personal dominance, rather than simply holding power or prestige, is a significant predictor of dishonesty.
- The link between power and dishonesty may be partly explained by self-selection processes, where dominant individuals are more likely to attain powerful positions.
- Future research should differentiate between various facets of power and individual traits when examining ethical conduct.
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