Winners keep on winning because they’re more likely to cheat: Study - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Winners keep on winning because they’re more likely to cheat: Study

IANS | By, New York
Feb 06, 2016 12:24 PM IST

The journey from a winner to a cheater could be short as Israeli researchers have found that after a competition is over, winners behave more dishonestly than losers in the future.

Ever hear the phrase “success doesn’t make you who you are, it reveals who you are?” Well, the journey from a winner to a cheater could be short as Israeli researchers have found that after a competition is over, winners behave more dishonestly than losers in the future.

The journey from a winner to a cheater could be short as Israeli researchers have found that after a competition is over, winners behave more dishonestly than losers in the future.(Shutterstock)
The journey from a winner to a cheater could be short as Israeli researchers have found that after a competition is over, winners behave more dishonestly than losers in the future.(Shutterstock)

“We already know that some politicians and business executives will often resort to unethical means to win, for example the recent Volkswagen scandal,” said one of the researchers Amos Schurr from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheba.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Read: Not an excuse but your hormones could make you cheat

“Our research was focused on who is more likely to subsequently engage in unrelated unethical behaviours - winners or losers?,” Schurr noted.

The research group conducted five studies with students in Israel.

The first two studies demonstrated that winning a competition increases the likelihood of winners to steal money from their counterparts in a subsequent unrelated task.

The last study, a post-competition survey, suggested that winners felt a sense of entitlement after besting their opponents in the initial competition, which the researchers said explains why they were more likely to cheat.

Read: Kiss of death for relationships? It’s contempt, not cheating

In the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers also noted that the subsequent unethical behaviour effect seems to depend on winning, rather than on mere success.

“These findings suggest that the way in which people measure success affects their honesty. When success is measured by social comparison, as is the case when winning a competition, dishonesty increases,” Schurr explained

“When success does not involve social comparison, as is the case when meeting a set goal, defined standard or recalling a personal achievement, dishonesty decreases,” Schurr noted.

Oscars 2024: Nominees to Red Carpet Glam! Get Exclusive Coverage on HT. Click Here

Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On