{"id":6660,"date":"2020-02-14T09:15:09","date_gmt":"2020-02-14T14:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodwin.edu\/enews\/?p=6660"},"modified":"2024-12-16T15:04:44","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T20:04:44","slug":"faculty-article-truth-about-lying","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodwin.edu\/enews\/faculty-article-truth-about-lying\/","title":{"rendered":"The Truth About Lying"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Truth About Lying
\n<\/strong>Looking at the \u201cfudge factor\u201d in our lives
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

by David Plouffe, Adjunct Professor Business and Manufacturing, Goodwin University<\/p>\n

Do you lie?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure that the majority of you would say, \u201cNo, I would never lie! I\u2019m an honest, ethical person!\u201d<\/p>\n

I have news for you: we all<\/em> lie. We lie many times a day, but likely consider it of little consequence. Behavioral Economics researcher Professor Dan Ariely describes this as having a personal \u201cfudge factor\u201d that affects our professional and personal lives every day.<\/p>\n

When you got dressed for work today and looked in the mirror, did you think, \u201cHey, this outfit looks great on me!\u201d? That could be lie number one for the day.<\/p>\n

If I were to ask if you consider yourself an honest, law-abiding citizen, you would most likely say yes, but did you drive five, 10, or more miles per hour over the speed limit on your way to work? That could be lie number two.<\/p>\n

You may be thinking that these are not really lies, but aren\u2019t they? In his research, Professor Ariely administered a self-grading exam to some of his undergraduate students, informing them that for each question they got right, they got a dollar. After the students graded the exam, they came up to the desk, told the proctor their score, received the money, and then fed the exam into a shredder. They didn\u2019t realize that the shredder was fake.<\/p>\n

The students could have easily claimed 50 correct answers and received 50 dollars. But they didn\u2019t. Professor Ariely found that if they got 23 right, they reported 30; if they got 32 right, they reported 35\u2026 their own fudge factor. Interestingly, if Ariely required the students to sign an honesty pledge before taking the exam, the cheating went down drastically.<\/p>\n

So, Dan Ariely proves that we are all liars, even if we are morally opposed to lying. Philosopher Immanuel Kant, who stated that lying is one of the biggest sins a person can commit, is now rolling in his grave!<\/p>\n

What can we do about it?<\/p>\n

Were you ever placed in a room alone to take an exam for a promotion or advancement? Did this exam require an unrealistically high grade? Did you believe that other people might have an advantage you didn\u2019t? We\u2019ve all been there, you are not alone. This is a perfect example of what is commonly called the Fraud Triangle.<\/p>\n

There are three major conditions that, when present, may create an environment for someone to lie:<\/p>\n