The Cheater’s High: The Unexpected Affective Benefits of Unethical Behavior

Abstract

Many theories of moral behavior share the assumption that unethical behavior triggers negative affect. In this paper, we challenge this assumption. We demonstrate that unethical behavior can trigger positive affect. Across three studies, we find that individuals who cheat on a problem-solving task experience more positive affect than those who do not, even when controlling for financial incentives, and self-selection. Consistent with the notion of a “cheater’s high,” however, the positive affective consequences of cheating are ephemeral. Our results have important implications for models of ethical decision making and self-regulatory theory.