Commitment to honesty oaths decreases dishonesty, but commitment to another individual does not affect dishonesty

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Economics
• Social Science

Background:

• Social commitment impacts behavior, with potential links to both increased and decreased dishonesty.
• Previous research suggests commitment to individuals may foster dishonesty, while commitment to moral norms may inhibit it.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of social commitment on dishonest behavior across diverse populations.
• To examine the specific effects of commitment to moral norms versus commitment to individuals on honesty.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a pre-registered series of 7 studies with 7566 participants from the UK, US, and Mexico.
• Utilized experimental designs to assess the impact of different types of social commitment on measured dishonesty.

Main Results:

• Commitment to moral norms, particularly via honesty oaths, showed a small but significant decrease in dishonesty (OR = 0.79).
• No credible evidence was found for social commitment to individuals increasing dishonesty (OR = 1.08).
• The effectiveness of commitment to moral norms was diminished when participants simultaneously held commitment to another individual (OR = 0.95).

Conclusions:

• Honesty oaths show potential as a tool to mitigate dishonest behavior.
• The influence of social commitment on dishonesty is nuanced, with moral commitments being more consistently effective than interpersonal commitments.
• Future research should consider the interplay between different forms of social commitment.