Why do people cheat? Not just for material gains, states study

The study was conducted through four tests that assessed why participants cheat, and under which circumstances, they don’t.

Often the reward of cheating is just an enhanced self-perception. Surprising? Well, that’s what a new study led by Sara Dommer, Pennsylvania State University states. The study defies the precious results of similar studies where it was stated that people often cheated for materialistic ambitions or gains. However, according to the new study, people often cheat just to feel better about themselves.

According to the study, people often cheat just to feel better about themselves. (Pexels)

The results were observed through four carefully-curated studies.

Calorie counting study:

The study was conducted on 288 undergraduate students who were studied based on a three-day calorie-intake scenario. They were presented with restaurant meals like pancakes, sandwiches, and pasta dishes. But it was observed that when the students lacked specific information regarding their calorie intake, they consistently chose lower calorie estimates to deceive themselves about their food choices.

IQ test study:

This test was conducted on 195 Amazon Mechanical Turk workers who took a multiple-choice IQ test. For half of the participants, the correct answers were highlighted after a few seconds which allowed them to cheat. They scored higher in the exam, and also were confident about their performances in the future tests.

Why do people cheat? New study reveals.(Pexels)

Anagram study:

The study used jumbled words and asked the participants to answer them. For some participants, the right answer showed up after three minutes. During the results of the test, it was observed that the participants who could see the correct answers, scored more.

Financial literacy study:

In the financial literacy test, the participants were presented with a disclaimer that made them question their accuracy, and the majority of the participants chose self-assessment instead of self-enhancement, and participated without cheating.

Results of the study:

Sara Dommer, assistant professor of marketing at Penn State and lead researcher of the study said, “I found that people do cheat when there are no extrinsic incentives like money or prizes but intrinsic rewards, like feeling better about yourself. Participants in the cheat group engaged in diagnostic self-deception and attributed their performance to themselves.”

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.