6533b862fe1ef96bd12c61f5
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Honest mistake or perhaps not: The role of descriptive and injunctive norms on the magnitude of dishonesty
Michèle WessaMichèle WessaGiannis Loissubject
ambiguity ; injunctive norms ; descriptive norms ; minor and major dishonestyLIESSociology and Political ScienceDishonestyStrategy and Managementmedia_common.quotation_subjectGeneral Decision SciencesMistakeAmbiguityinjunctive normsUNETHICAL BEHAVIORSocial norms approachminor and major dishonestyDIFFERENTIATIONArts and Humanities (miscellaneous)JUSTIFICATIONSMagnitude (astronomy)ambiguityDECEPTIONPSYCHOPATHYPsychologydescriptive normsSocial psychologyApplied Psychologymedia_commondescription
Trivial acts of dishonesty are very prevalent in everyday life and have severe economic and societal consequences. The present study aims to examine the role of descriptive and injunctive norms in minor and major dishonesty under ambiguity. We devised a novel experimental design in which rule violations can be the result of honest mistakes or various dishonest processes. In this ambiguous context, we observed a high prevalence of minor rule violations at baseline. In two experiments, exposure to increased peer cheating (i.e., negative descriptive norms) promoted major rule violations, whereas the presence of explicit or subtle rule reminders (i.e., injunctive norms) marginally reduced minor rule violations but had no impact on major rule violations. We interpret these findings within the framework of social norm theory, self-maintenance theory, and bounded ethicality. Implications regarding policies that target ordinary unethical behavior are discussed.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-01-01 |