ECN 340 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Morality, Marginal Utility, Profit Motive
Document Summary
Chapter 11 the economics of cheating and lying. Cheating and lying is about breaking social rules. 30-40% of students cheat: in some way or another. Inn experiments, a moral appeal had no effect whatsoever. In one instance a moral appeal led to more cheating! Threat to be checked reduced cheating: afraid of being caught. More loveable and understanding the instructor, the more cheating occurred: believe that the teacher will not do anything to them if they get caught cheating. The most in need of marks most likely to take greater risks to cheat. One with an average of 48% or 68%: the 48%, the risk of failing the course. The greater the utility of an act the more likely it is to be undertaken, thus the more potential punishment is needed to deter it. Still, no one is honest or dishonest by nature : everyone has the potential to be a cheater, from business life to personal life.