Time to Be Honest
April 3, 2012
In an article published last week in The Economist, a team of BGU researchers in the Department of Psychology found that individuals are more likely to cheat when not given time to reflect on their decisions.
Drs. Ori Eldar and Yoella Bereby-Meyer gathered 76 volunteers to engage in a game of “gambling,” where each participant was asked to roll two dice and told they would earn about $2.50 for each dot they rolled. Half of the subjects were given a time limit of 20 seconds to report their score, while the other group was given an unlimited time frame.
After controlling for the statistical likelihood of each score, Eldar and Bereby-Meyer found that those individuals who were given less time to report their score, tended to report inflated scores. The implication: cheating is the default behavior for most people. Given time to contemplate their decisions, however, people will likely choose the more honest approach.
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
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