@techreport{888a04148776456ba085a57e947ce799,
title = "How Does Dishonesty Spread? Gender Matters!",
abstract = "Using an online experiment with two distinct dishonesty games, we analyze how dishonesty in men and women is influenced by either thinking or learning about the dishonesty of others in a related but different situation. Thinking is induced by eliciting a belief about others{\textquoteright} dishonesty in a different game. Such belief elicitation increases males{\textquoteright} (but not females{\textquoteright}) dishonesty. Learning is induced by receiving a signal about the actual honest or dishonest choices of others in a different game. We find that females{\textquoteright} (but not males{\textquoteright}) dishonesty increases with the level of dishonesty provided in such a signal. We conclude that gender matters when examining how unethical behavior spreads. Both genders update their beliefs about others{\textquoteright} dishonesty in the same way when presented with information about others{\textquoteright} choices. Still, dishonesty in men is triggered by merely thinking about others{\textquoteright} dishonesty, while women only respond to actual information on others{\textquoteright} dishonesty.",
keywords = "dishonesty, unethical behaviour, gender, experiment, beliefs,, signals",
author = "Kim B{\"o}hm and Sebastian Goerg and Lilia Wasserka-Zhurakhovska",
year = "2023",
language = "English",
volume = "10314",
series = "CESifo Working Paper",
publisher = "Ifo institute for Economic Research e.V.",
address = "Germany",
type = "WorkingPaper",
institution = "Ifo institute for Economic Research e.V.",
}