Cheating, when the results are mostly inconsequential, can actually make people feel good, according to a new study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
"We were a little appalled," said Dr. Nicole E. Ruedy, one of the researchers.
Through a series of experiments that intentionally allowed participants to cheat, Dr. Ruedy and colleagues from the University of Washington, the London Business School, Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania uncovered an unexpected side of human nature.
"Showing people feeling positively after committing a moral transgression is pretty novel," Scott Wiltermuth, an assistant professor in the business school at the University of Southern California, told the New York Times.
Three different experiments demonstrated increases in participant's mood following the act of cheating. Additionally, the studies showed that, given the opportunity to cheat, many people will take it (as long as impact is minimal). In one variation, participants were given a test on the computer. Half the subjects were told to ignore a pop up with the correct answer. Results showed that 68 percent of these subjects cheated at least once. Consequently, the group reported greater gains in mood than baseline participants.
According to the study, cheating increases our level of self-satisfaction. Those who subvert the rules may think of themselves as clever and feel better - at least momentarily - because of it.
Understanding how we internalize cheating gives insight into ways to prevent it, according to the study and the New York Times.
Professor Wiltermuth, speaking to the New York Times, felt eliminating the element of self-satisfaction and feelings of superiority by having companies send a message like "a monkey could game our system" could be an effective strategy against cheating.
"Perhaps people could be made aware of the costs that others actually bear," Dr. Reudy suggested. "Identify victims of their behavior."
Another study discovered that participants were less likely to manipulate tax documents when a signature was requested at the top of the form rather than the bottom, indicating that increased feelings of responsibility leads to more noble behavior, the New York Times reported.
