Older adults were significantly less likely to cheat and had higher ratings of honesty–humility compared to younger adults; greater honesty–humility predicted lower cheating behavior

Examining honesty–humility and cheating behaviors across younger and older adults. Alison M. O’Connor et al. International Journal of Behavioral Development, September 13, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1177/01650254211039022

Abstract: Self-report research indicates that dishonesty decreases across adulthood; however, behavioral measures of dishonesty have yet to be examined across younger and older adults. The present study examined younger and older adults’ cheating behaviors in relation to their self-reported honesty–humility. Younger (N = 112) and older adults (N = 85) completed a matrix task where they had the opportunity to falsely inflate their performance. Participants also completed the self-report measure of honesty–humility from the HEXACO-PI-R. Older adults were significantly less likely to cheat and had higher ratings of honesty–humility compared to younger adults. Greater honesty–humility predicted lower cheating behavior. These results demonstrate that older adults show greater rates of honesty and humility compared to younger adults using both behavioral and self-report methods.

Keywords: Deception, cheating, aging, honesty, HEXACO