Previous research on the acceptability of dishonest actions has focused on the role of social norms and internal reward mechanisms. Using a sample of over 2000 Swedish adult twins, this manuscript examines whether there exists another source that is driving differences in perceptions of the acceptability of dishonest actions: genetic variation. We find that much of the variation in perceptions of the acceptability of dishonest actions is attributable to genetic variation between individuals.

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doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2013.05.001, hdl.handle.net/1765/41617
Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization
Erasmus Research Institute of Management

Loewen, P., Dawes, C. T., Mazar, N., Johannesson, M., Koellinger, P., & Magnusson, P. (2013). The heritability of moral standards for everyday dishonesty. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 93, 363–366. doi:10.1016/j.jebo.2013.05.001