The optics of lying: How pursuing an honest social image shapes dishonest behavior

Mika Guzikevits; Shoham Choshen-Hillel

doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101384

The optics of lying: How pursuing an honest social image shapes dishonest behavior

Mika Guzikevits, Shoham Choshen-Hillel^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

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Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

People frequently engage in dishonest behavior. Yet, they do so only to a limited extent, often forgoing potential profits. In the past few decades, the dominant psychological account explaining people's “limited dishonesty” characterized this behavior as driven by a desire to preserve a positive image of the self. Recently, a new account has been put forward, based on social considerations. This social image account claims that limited dishonesty is driven by a desire to be viewed positively by others. Here we review empirical findings from psychology and behavioral economics on the role of social image in dishonest behavior. We conclude by suggesting that both self-image and social image are at play.

Original language	American English
Article number	101384
Journal	Current Opinion in Psychology
Volume	46
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101384
State	Published - Aug 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
☆ Authors’ note: This work was supported by grant 354/21 from the Israel Science Foundation to SCH, the Recanati Fund at the Jerusalem School of Business at the Hebrew University to SCH, and the Faye Kaufman Memorial Prize to MG. We thank Michael Borns, Salomon Israel, Ilana Ritov, Alex Shaw, Kinneret Teodorescu, and Ori Weisel for constructive suggestions that contributed to this manuscript significantly.

Funding Information:
Authors’ note: This work was supported by grant 354/21 from the Israel Science Foundation to SCH, the Recanati Fund at the Jerusalem School of Business at the Hebrew University to SCH, and the Faye Kaufman Memorial Prize to MG. We thank Michael Borns, Salomon Israel, Ilana Ritov, Alex Shaw, Kinneret Teodorescu, and Ori Weisel for constructive suggestions that contributed to this manuscript significantly.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd

Keywords

Dishonest behavior
Lying
Reputation
Social image

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10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101384

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abstract = "People frequently engage in dishonest behavior. Yet, they do so only to a limited extent, often forgoing potential profits. In the past few decades, the dominant psychological account explaining people's “limited dishonesty” characterized this behavior as driven by a desire to preserve a positive image of the self. Recently, a new account has been put forward, based on social considerations. This social image account claims that limited dishonesty is driven by a desire to be viewed positively by others. Here we review empirical findings from psychology and behavioral economics on the role of social image in dishonest behavior. We conclude by suggesting that both self-image and social image are at play.",

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note = "Funding Information: ☆ Authors{\textquoteright} note: This work was supported by grant 354/21 from the Israel Science Foundation to SCH, the Recanati Fund at the Jerusalem School of Business at the Hebrew University to SCH, and the Faye Kaufman Memorial Prize to MG. We thank Michael Borns, Salomon Israel, Ilana Ritov, Alex Shaw, Kinneret Teodorescu, and Ori Weisel for constructive suggestions that contributed to this manuscript significantly. Funding Information: Authors{\textquoteright} note: This work was supported by grant 354/21 from the Israel Science Foundation to SCH, the Recanati Fund at the Jerusalem School of Business at the Hebrew University to SCH, and the Faye Kaufman Memorial Prize to MG. We thank Michael Borns, Salomon Israel, Ilana Ritov, Alex Shaw, Kinneret Teodorescu, and Ori Weisel for constructive suggestions that contributed to this manuscript significantly. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Elsevier Ltd",

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language = "American English",

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AB - People frequently engage in dishonest behavior. Yet, they do so only to a limited extent, often forgoing potential profits. In the past few decades, the dominant psychological account explaining people's “limited dishonesty” characterized this behavior as driven by a desire to preserve a positive image of the self. Recently, a new account has been put forward, based on social considerations. This social image account claims that limited dishonesty is driven by a desire to be viewed positively by others. Here we review empirical findings from psychology and behavioral economics on the role of social image in dishonest behavior. We conclude by suggesting that both self-image and social image are at play.

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JO - Current Opinion in Psychology

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The optics of lying: How pursuing an honest social image shapes dishonest behavior

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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