Mind & body, Research

When women are more likely to lie

By Public Affairs

woman with fingers crossed
woman with fingers crossed

Would you tell a lie to help someone else? A new study says women won’t lie on their own behalf, but they are willing to do so for someone else if they feel criticized or pressured by others.

In contrast, the study, co-authored by professor Laura Kray of UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and Maryam Kouchaki of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, found that men are the opposite: They do not compromise their ethical standards under social pressure regardless of whether they’re advocating for themselves or anyone else.

The paper, “‘I’ll Do Anything For You.’ The Ethical Consequences of Women’s Social Considerations,” received the Best Empirical Paper Award from the International Association of Conflict Management (IACM) earlier this year.

Read more on the Berkeley-Haas website