People lie only to a limited extent to gain certain material advantages, and sometimes they even lie to their own disadvantage to protect their social image

The optics of lying: How pursuing an honest social image shapes dishonest behavior. Mika Guzikevits, Shoham Choshen-Hillel. Current Opinion in Psychology, June 9 2022, 101384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101384

Highlights

• People lie often, but they do so to a limited extent.

• Limited dishonesty has been explained by concern with a positive self-image.

• People also limit their lying to preserve a positive reputation or social image.

• Both self and social image lead people to limit their dishonesty.

Abstract: People frequently engage in dishonest behavior. Yet, they do so only to a limited extent, often forgoing potential profits. In the past few decades, the dominant psychological account explaining people’s “limited dishonesty” characterized this behavior as driven by a desire to preserve a positive image of the self. Recently, a new account has been put forward, based on social considerations. This social image account claims that limited dishonesty is driven by a desire to be viewed positively by others. Here we review empirical findings from psychology and behavioral economics on the role of social image in dishonest behavior. We conclude by suggesting that both self-image and social image are at play.

Keywords: DishonestbehaviorLyingSocial imageReputation