Tracing the lines of deceit. Male cheating behavior increases in online versus face-to-face environments over time

Abstract

This study investigates the development of cheating behavior over time in online versus in-person environments among university students, with a particular focus on potential gender differences. Previous research suggests that online anonymity increases cheating (Charness et al., 2007), and cheating increases over time (Garrett et al., 2016). In the current study, 137 participants (online: n = 75, in-person: n = 62) with a balanced gender dis tribution completed a fine-motor tracing task in four sessions. Individuals made a performance prediction before each trial prior to competing against each other for the highest scores. During the task, participants rated their own errors, so self-reported performance could be compared to expert-coded outcomes. Cheating was defined as the discrepancy between self-reported and actual errors. We distinguish between all instances of cheating (inconsequential for the score), and “meaningful cheating”, which refers to cases where cheating improved the score. Findings suggest greater cheating for men as compared to women in the online condition when cheating led to an increase in performance scores, but not when all cheating is considered. In addition, “meaningful cheating” increased over time in the online condition, especially in men. This indicates that online situations could introduce cheating-opportunities in interpersonal situations, which may be used strategically by some individuals to gain advantages.