Participants lie significantly more in the random-draw task than in the real-effort task, leading to the conclusion lying about luck is intrinsically less costly than lying about performance

Lying about luck versus lying about performance. Agne Kajackaite. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Volume 153, September 2018, Pages 194-199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2018.07.010

Highlights
•    I compare lying behavior in a real-effort task and a random-draw task.
•    Participants lie more in the random-draw task than in the real-effort task.
•    Lying about luck is intrinsically less costly than lying about performance.
•    More generally, the way outcomes are determined affects the decision to lie.

Abstract: I compare lying behavior in a real-effort task in which participants have control over outcomes and a task in which outcomes are determined by pure luck. Participants lie significantly more in the random-draw task than in the real-effort task, leading to the conclusion lying about luck is intrinsically less costly than lying about performance.