The Dishonesty of Honest People: A Theory of Self-Concept Maintenance
2008/11/10 by Nina Mazar, Nina Mažar, On Amir +1 · 557 citations
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Engineering · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Cheating #Corruption and Economic Development #Deception #Dishonesty #Engineering #Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies #Honesty #Psychology #Social psychology #Taxation and Compliance Studies #Work (physics)
paper · doi:10.1509/jmkr.45.6.633
published in Journal of Marketing Research 45(6), 633-644 (SAGE Publishing)
openalex publication_date 2008/11/10 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Abstract
People like to think of themselves as honest. However, dishonesty pays—and it often pays well. How do people resolve this tension? This research shows that people behave dishonestly enough to profit but honestly enough to delude themselves of their own integrity. A little bit of dishonesty gives a taste of profit without spoiling a positive self-view. Two mechanisms allow for such self-concept maintenance: inattention to moral standards and categorization malleability. Six experiments support the authors’ theory of self-concept maintenance and offer practical applications for curbing dishonesty in everyday life.
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