Greatings!

The first thought that comes to my mind is the thinking of psychopaths. Psychopaths are usually skilled liars which (at least to some degree) makes them skilled exposers of lies, i.e. this is one of their areas of expertise. Whether or not they will embrace this skill of someone else will is most certainly decided on how they value that person overall: is this person someone they can use or is this person a threat to their plans?

Psychopaths can be desribed as extremely egoistic agents and from that perspective they will herd with someone just to take advantage of this person. The herding that may rise will then of course be artificial and could become most interesting if those assembling in the herd ALL Believe to be on top of things!

Best regards, Pontus

A Study of E-Cheating Habit of Students in Three Selected Universities in Nigeria.

Omonijo, Dare Ojo Department of Student Affairs Covenant University, P. M. B 1023, Canaan-Land, Ota. Ogun-State, South-West Nigeria. E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] Tel: +234-8091114447 & 081-3385-6587 & Nnedum, Obiajulu Anthony Ugochukwu, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, P. M. B 5025 Awka, Anambra State, South-East Nigeria. E-mail: [email protected] & [email protected]. Tel: 234-803314-6636.

Greatings!

The first thought that comes to my mind is the thinking of psychopaths. Psychopaths are usually skilled liars which (at least to some degree) makes them skilled exposers of lies, i.e. this is one of their areas of expertise. Whether or not they will embrace this skill of someone else will is most certainly decided on how they value that person overall: is this person someone they can use or is this person a threat to their plans?

Psychopaths can be desribed as extremely egoistic agents and from that perspective they will herd with someone just to take advantage of this person. The herding that may rise will then of course be artificial and could become most interesting if those assembling in the herd ALL Believe to be on top of things!

Best regards, Pontus

Thank you everyone for the wonderful material and insight. I am thrilled by the prospect.

Only when there is a recognition of the sameness of experience and character that leads to a common sympathy  an undesirable consequence of their wrong actions.

Dan Ariely, in his excellent book The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty, describes several experiments that all seem to confirm the rotten-apple-effect (people are more prone to cheating if surrounded by cheaters than if not). He appeals to these findings to explain some high-profile corporate scandals and to argue for a zero tolerance policy towards even the most innocent moral and legal transgressions.

http://www.amazon.com/Honest-Truth-About-Dishonesty-Everyone--Especially/dp/0062183613/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Is there herding behavior among cheaters and liars? Yes, they are drawn to politics, crooked finance, and other areas where they can dominate and plunder others with not much danger of reproach or reprisal and, of course, no pangs of conscience. And of course they will find others like them feeding at the same troughs. Haven't you noticed?

• https://kops.uni-konstanz.de/bitstream/handle/123456789/11857/62_No40_08_11_TWI_RPS_Fischbacher_Heusi.pdf

Well, the old notions of "honor among thieves" or of "birds of a feather flocking together" seem to allow for that possibility. But even if it isn't a matter of honor or compassion, the "birds", despite any differences and antagonisms between them, nonetheless often present a common front against a perceived common enemy, e.g. the police, and don't rat each other out.

 Jane Gallamaso, Michael Karlsson, and Karl Pfeifer --- this means that lying is never instantaneous action.  It is either deeply imprinted mechanism on the part of the person lying, or a deliberate action in response to his or her foreseen "peril".  

Frederick Klampfer:  thanks for reminding.  I bought Dan Ariely's book 6 months back.  Am interested to pursue one area he did not explore though mentioned.  But I am really in deep thoughts on how to go after such.  Abdelfattah Alkhawaja --- very beautiful reading.

I thank the supportive community of scholars for sharing.  Let us keep one another in the same loop for future collaboration.  

Hello! You might also consider that in countries with high tax evasion (like Italy, unfortunately), statistic studies find an even wider percentage of people expressing understanding and lack of contempt for evasion. A puzzling situation if you see it from the "free rider problem" point of view.

Annalisa, it is good you offer me that perspective.  I am thinking now of the tragedy of the commons :)