Smug Alert! Exploring self-licensing behavior in a cheating game

C-Tier
Journal: Economics Letters
Year: 2014
Volume: 123
Issue: 2
Pages: 191-194

Score contribution per author:

0.335 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 0.5x C-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We test experimentally a prediction of the ‘moral credit model’, in which committing a virtuous act creates moral credits that can license immoral behavior in a succeeding decision. We use a basic cheating experiment that was either preceded by a virtuous deed or not in a developing country context. We found that people who previously achieved a good deed cheat more. Gender and origin are also significant explicative variables for cheating.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:ecolet:v:123:y:2014:i:2:p:191-194
Journal Field
General
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-25