Jareef Martuza, Helge Thorbjørnsen, Hallgeir Sjåstad1
Here are the key insights from the research.
Overestimation of Dishonesty: People tend to overestimate the dishonesty of others by an average of 14 percentage points, believing the world to be less moral than it actually is.
Actual vs. Perceived Dishonesty: About 70% of participants in various experiments chose to tell the truth despite having a financial incentive to lie, contrary to the common belief.
Impact of Correct Information: Providing individuals with accurate information about actual honesty levels led to more positive beliefs about honesty and an overall enhancement of pro-social expectations.
Meta-Analysis Findings: An internal meta-analysis across 31 different effects revealed a pervasive tendency to overestimate others’ dishonesty, suggesting a biased belief system.
These insights highlight the discrepancy between beliefs about dishonesty and actual dishonest behavior, and the potential for information treatments to correct these beliefs and improve social trust.
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