Self-Esteem and Dishonest Behavior Revisited

Abstract

Research within the framework of cognitive consistency theory has generally shown that high self-esteem is a deterrent to dishonest behavior. The degree to which this relationship holds across subject sex is unclear, however, because available studies have produced contradictory findings. The present study examined whether the esteem/honesty relationship would be specified by subject sex when focusing on a behavior that is unquestionably more dishonest than behavior studied in prior research, namely, actual cheating on a classroom exam. The findings indicated a significant deterrent effect of high self-esteem for women but not for men. The results are interpreted as supporting the sex-role socialization explanation advanced by Mussen, Rutherford, Harris, and Keasey (1970), who found similar results in a more contrived experimental arrangement.