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 language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 337-347 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Social Psychology |
Volume | 54 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 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