Cheat, cheat, repeat: On the consistency of dishonest behavior in structurally comparable situations.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Personality Psychology

Background:

• Trait theories assume consistent behavior across situations.
• The consistency of unethical behavior, particularly dishonesty, has been widely questioned.
• Previous research has not rigorously tested dishonesty consistency over time and across contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To rigorously test the consistency assumption of dishonest behavior in a large, diverse sample.
• To examine the influence of personality traits on dishonest behavior and its consistency.
• To develop and apply a novel statistical model for assessing behavioral consistency.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 1,916 participants for dishonesty measurement across three time points (up to 3 years apart).
• Utilized incentivized cheating paradigms where lying was individually profitable and not self-incriminating.
• Experimentally varied incentive types (money vs. avoiding work) and magnitudes across measurements.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated strong consistency in dishonest behavior across different contexts and over time for most individuals.
• Found significant relationships between personality traits (Honesty-Humility, Dark Factor) and both the level and consistency of dishonesty.
• The newly developed statistical model effectively estimated behavioral consistency.

Conclusions:

• Dishonest behavior exhibits notable consistency, supporting the concept of (dis)honesty as a stable trait.
• Dispositional factors significantly contribute to consistent patterns of dishonesty.
• Findings have implications for understanding dishonest behavior theoretically and for developing practical interventions.