WHY WE LIE

By: Dan Ariely

Published: May 25, 2012; The Wall Street Journal: The Saturday Essay; http://online.wsj.com

Level of Difficulty: ****

BEFORE YOU READ

1.       How frequently do you believe people lie and cheat on a small scale?

2.       Have you ever lied or cheated? This includes so called white lies.

3.       Why do you think people lie or cheat? Are the reasons personal, social or what?

4.       How do you think people can be encouraged to be more honest?

QUESTIONS

1.       Read the explanation the locksmith provides concerning the use of locks. This explanation proves that …………………………………………………………… Now state clearly what the implication is for society as a whole.

2.       What does “this” refer to in the phrase “If this were true” in paragraph 3?

3.       What does “that” refer to in the phrase “But that is not how dishonesty works”?

4.       Read the account of the experiment concerning matrices in paragraphs 5, 6 and 7 in the text. Now state clearly what discovery was made concerning cheating as a result.

5.       The higher the amount of money offered for a solved matrix, …………………………………the cheating. The reason for this is ……………………………………………………………………………………..

6.       Read the factors that facilitate cheating in paragraphs 11, 12 and 13 and state clearly what they have in common?

7.       What conclusion can we draw from the methods of combating cheating listed in paragraph 14? Use your own words.

8.       What does “the thought” refer to in the phrase “Inspired by the thought”?

9.       From the experiment described in paragraphs 18 and 19 we can draw the following conclusion: the greater ……………………………………… the less the cheating.

10.   Explain in your own words why putting your name at the top of the tax form seemed to reduce cheating.

11.   If you were asked to place the subtitle “conclusion” somewhere in the text, where would you place it?

12.   What is the implication of the conclusions drawn from all the experiments concerning cheating?

13.   What is the function of the last paragraph of the text? Could we have left it out? Why or why not?

WRITING TASK

Write an essay discussing the factors that facilitate lying and cheating based on the notes you made while reading both texts. In your conclusion, suggest solutions – which can again be based on the notes you made while reading.

KEY AND TEACHER’S NOTES

This text should follow the previous little text out of The Economist. Students should be encouraged to make notes on the factors that facilitate lying and also the factors that reduce lying and cheating from both texts as they read in preparation for a writing task to round things off. These points are answers to the questions anyhow so finding them should not present a problem. It would be a good idea to shop around for a video to include in your lesson plan as well.

1.    The Purpose of Locks is to... Society's efforts to deal with dishonesty are misguided.  

2.       If most people were virtuous but a few bad apples spoilt the bunch.

3.       We tend to think that most people are either honest or dishonest.

4.       Lots of people cheat just by a little.

5.       The less; it was harder for people to cheat and still feel good about their integrity.

6.       These facts have everything to do with the balancing act we are constantly performing in our heads.

7.       They are ineffective.

8.       Being reminded of moral codes has a significant effect on how we view our own behavior.

9.       The reminders of morality.

10.   It forced the person into the same position as when faced with a moral dilemma or some such answer.

11.   Just before paragraph 22

12.   Although it is obviously important to pay attention to flagrant misbehavior, it is probably even more important to discourage the small and more ubiquitous forms of dishonesty.

13.   It expands on the basic conclusion which is the answer to the previous question. It looks better to have it.