The heterogeneous processes of cheating: Attention evidence from two eye tracking experiments

Toke Fosgaard*, Catrine Jacobsen, Chris Street

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

Dishonesty erodes society. Although much is known about dishonesty, the process leading up to the decision of whether to be honest or dishonest is often assumed to be homogenous and is not well understood. In this paper, we take a more nuanced approach and explore more closely the process of deciding whether to cheat or be honest when an opportunity to cheat arises. We do this in two laboratory eye tracking experiments. In our first experiment (n = 193), we identify heterogeneity in the decision to cheat. Some decisions on whether to cheat or be honest exhibit relatively little variation and appear to be oriented towards cheating (or honesty) with apparently little consideration of the alternative, whereas other decisions seem to be characterized by a higher degree of consideration for both decision alternatives. Our second experiment (n = 299) demonstrates that a gaze dependent intervention in the choices process is able to affect the behavioral outcomes.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Behavioral Decision Making
Volume34
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)131-139
Number of pages9
ISSN0894-3257
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021

Keywords

  • dishonesty
  • drift-diffusion model
  • eye tracking
  • heterogeneity

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