Prior research has shown that power is associated with cheating. In the present research, we showcase that higher power can increase but also decrease cheating, depending on the thoughts validated by the feelings of power. In two experiments, participants were first asked to generate either positive or negative thoughts about cheating. Following this manipulation of thought direction, participants were placed in either high or low power conditions. After the two inductions, cheating was measured using different paradigms – assessing cheating intentions in relationships (Study 1) and over reporting performance for monetary gain (Study 2). Relative to powerless participants, those induced to feel powerful showed more reliance on the initial thoughts induced. Consequently, the effect of the direction of the thoughts on cheating was greater for participants with high (vs. low) power. Specifically, high power increased cheating only when initial thoughts about cheating were already favorable but decreased cheating when it validated unfavorable cheating relevant thoughts.

先前的研究表明，权力与作弊有关。在目前的研究中，我们展示了更高的权力可以增加但也可以减少作弊，这取决于权力感受所验证的想法。在两个实验中，参与者首先被要求对作弊产生积极或消极的想法。在这种思想方向的操纵之后，参与者被置于高权力或低权力的条件下。两次诱导后，使用不同的范式来衡量作弊行为——评估关系中的作弊意图（研究 1）和为了金钱收益而过度报告表现（研究 2）。相对于无能为力的参与者，那些被诱导感到强大的参与者表现出更依赖最初诱导的想法。因此，对于高（相对于低）权力的参与者来说，思想方向对作弊的影响更大。具体来说，只有当关于作弊的最初想法已经是有利的时候，高功率才会增加作弊行为，而当它验证了不利的作弊相关想法时，就会减少作弊行为。