Experience Stern | News & Events

In a recent visit to NYU Stern, Dan Ariely, author of The (Honest) Truth about Dishonesty, spoke to students and faculty about his new book. Ariely shared findings from a number of studies on honesty and cheating. He offered several insights from his research including:

• Most people lie in lab studies where lying earns them more money.
• Paradoxically, people usually think of themselves as good and honest.
• Not all human values are equal when they collide. For example, maintaining peace at home can be more important than being honest.
• Parents teach their kids to lie, but in ways that are often disguised as being polite or adhering to social norms.
• Creative people are more dishonest than non-creative individuals.
• If you remind people about ethics (e.g., have them swear on a bible or sign an honor code), regardless of their ethical training or lack thereof, they are more likely to act honestly.

The event was hosted by Stern's Business & Society Program and the Paduano Symposium in Business Ethics.