Cheating and Loss Aversion: Do People Cheat More to Avoid a Loss?

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Grolleau, Gilles; Kocher, Martin G.; Sutan, Angela
• 署名单位: Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (Inserm); Institut Agro; Montpellier SupAgro; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); Universite de Montpellier; Universite Bourgogne Europe; University of Munich; Queensland University of Technology (QUT); University of Gothenburg; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); CNRS - Institute for Humanities & Social Sciences (INSHS); Institut Agro; Montpellier SupAgro; Universite de Montpellier
• 刊物名称: MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0025-1909
• DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.2015.2313
• 发表日期: 2016
• 页码: 3428-3438
• 关键词: Cheating; Lying; loss aversion; experiment

摘要

Does the extent of cheating depend on a proper reference point? We use a real-effort matrix task that implements a two (gain versus loss frame) times two (monitored performance versus unmonitored performance) between-subjects design with 600 experimental participants to examine whether the extent of cheating is reference dependent. Self-reported performance in the unmonitored condition is significantly higher than actual performance in the monitored condition-a clear indication of cheating. However, the level of cheating is by far higher in the loss frame than in the gain frame under no monitoring. The fear of a loss seems to lead to more dishonest behavior than the lure of a gain.