Social Psychology Research

Abstract Introduction: Dishonesty, defined as the deliberate distortion of reality for personal or social gain, poses a significant challenge in social and organizational contexts. While previous research suggests that gender and reward structures influence dishonest behavior, findings have been inconsistent, and the interaction between these factors is not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the specific roles of gender and different reward structures in shaping dishonest behavior. Method: A mixed factorial design was employed, with reward structure as a within-subjects factor (six levels: baseline, self-serving–other-harming, self-serving–other-serving, self-harming–other-serving, self-serving, and other-serving) and gender as a between-subjects factor (31 women and 31 men). Dishonest behavior was measured using the Dishonesty Escalation Task (Garrett, 2016). Data were analyzed using a linear mixed-effects model followed by Bonferroni post hoc tests. Results: The reward structure had a significant main effect on dishonesty (F=8.70, p<0.001). While gender alone did not yield a significant main effect (p=0.07), its interaction with reward structure was significant (F=16.30, p<0.001). Post-hoc analyses revealed that men exhibited higher levels of dishonesty in self-serving conditions, a difference that diminished in prosocial (other-serving) contexts. Conclusion: Dishonest behavior is more strongly influenced by situational reward structures than by gender alone. The findings suggest that implementing ethically oriented incentive systems could be an effective strategy for mitigating dishonesty in educational and organizational settings.