Cheating, Corruption, and Concealment
The Roots of Dishonesty

Looks at cheating, corruption, and concealment to focus on motivations, justifications, influences, and reductions of dishonesty.

Jan-Willem van Prooijen (Edited by), Paul A. M. van Lange (Edited by)

9781107105393, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 30 June 2016

330 pages, 3 b/w illus. 6 tables
23.1 x 15.7 x 2.5 cm, 0.6 kg

Dishonesty is ubiquitous in our world. The news is frequently filled with high-profile cases of corporate fraud, large-scale corruption, lying politicians, and the hypocrisy of public figures. On a smaller scale, ordinary people often cheat, lie, misreport their taxes, and mislead others in their daily life. Despite such prevalence of cheating, corruption, and concealment, people typically consider themselves to be honest, and often believe themselves to be more moral than most others. This book aims to resolve this paradox by addressing the question of why people are dishonest all too often. What motivates dishonesty, and how are people able to perceive themselves as moral despite their dishonest behaviour? What personality and interpersonal factors make dishonesty more likely? And what can be done to recognise and reduce dishonesty? This is a fascinating overview of state-of-the-art research on dishonesty, with prominent scholars offering their views to clarify the roots of dishonesty.

1. Cheating, corruption, and concealment: an introduction to dishonesty Jan-Willem van Prooijen and Paul A. M. van Lange
Part I. Motivations for Dishonesty: 2. Moral motivation: a closer look C. Daniel Batson
3. Beyond 'being good frees us to be bad': moral self-licensing and the fabrication of moral credentials Daniel A. Effron
4. Deception as a means to an end: an instrumental approach Wolfgang Steinel, Lukas Koning, Eric van Dijk and Ilja van Beest
Part II. Justifying Dishonesty: 5. How moral flexibility constrains our moral compass Francesca Gino
6. Always the hero to ourselves: the role of self-deception in unethical behaviour Celia Moore
7. Not for my sake: preventing others from using potential beneficiaries' benefits as justifications for dishonesty Scott S. Wiltermuth and Medha Raj
8. Corrupt collaboration: a behavioral ethics approach Shaul Shalvi, Ori Weisel, Sys Kochavi-Gamliel and Margarita Leib
Part III. Influences on Dishonesty: 9. Narcissism and dishonesty: the SAC model W. Keith Campbell and Lane Siedor
10. When being creative frees us to be bad: linking creativity with moral licensing Lynne C. Vincent and Evan Polman
11. Wealth and wrongdoing: social class differences in ethical reasoning and behavior Paul K. Piff, Daniel M. Stancato and E. J. Horberg
12. Power, dishonesty, and justice Steven L. Blader and Andy J. Yap
Part IV. Reducing Dishonesty: 13. Religion, deception, and self-deception Stephanie R. Kramer and Azim F. Shariff
14. The ergonomics of ethics Andy J. Yap
15. When opposition is beneficial: the case of productive disobedience Piero Bocchiaro
16. A cognitive approach to elicit verbal and nonverbal cues to deceit Aldert Vrij, Ronald P. Fisher, Hartmut Blank, Sharon Leal and Samantha Mann.

Subject Areas: Business ethics & social responsibility [KJG], Political corruption [JPZ], Politics & government [JP], Social, group or collective psychology [JMH]