Dishonesty When the Game Is Unfair Experimental Evidence for the Effect of Economic Inequality on Tax Evasion and Cheating

Silvia Galdi, Federica Durante, Anne Maass

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Although the link between economic inequality and dishonest behavior is well-established in the literature, their causal relation is still unclear. Here we investigate the causal link between economic inequality and dishonest behavior in a simulated society with high or low economic inequality, while holding middle-class status of the participants constant across conditions. Study 1 (N = 479) focuses on tax evasion, showing that high (vs. low) economic inequality increases the tendency to not declare taxable income. Study 2 (N = 228) analyzes cheating behavior, showing that participants under high (vs. low) economic inequality cheat more to increase their income. Together, the studies provide experimental evidence that economic inequality plays a causal role in dishonest behaviors, such as tax evasion and cheating.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)337-347
Number of pages11
JournalSocial Psychology
Volume54
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1 2023

Keywords

  • cheating
  • economic inequality
  • tax evasion
  • unethical behavior

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • Sociology and Political Science
  • General Psychology

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