Science of self-deception: How cheating can make us feel smarter

Self-deception plays a bigger role in our lives than we might realize – especially when it comes to assessing our own achievements and skills.

A recent study exposed the fascinating tendency that humans have to cheat and then inflate their own sense of success, while genuinely believing in their abilities.

In a twist of irony, this self-deception goes even further – it actually makes people feel smarter and more accomplished.

The puzzle of self-deception

Dr. Sara Dommer, an assistant professor of marketing at Penn State, set out to explore why people cheat on tasks that offer purely intrinsic rewards, such as the satisfaction of solving crossword puzzles or counting calories accurately.

“I found that people do cheat when there are no extrinsic incentives, like money or prizes, but [only] intrinsic rewards, like feeling better about yourself,” said Dr. Dommer.

Intriguingly, the feel-good factor only worked when individuals engaged in what Dr. Dommer refers to as “diagnostic self-deception.”

In simpler terms, the participants had to convince themselves that they weren’t cheating. “Doing so allows me to feel smarter, more accomplished or healthier,” explained Dommer.

Cheating to feel healthy

To understand this phenomenon, Dommer conducted four distinct studies. In the first, undergraduate students from Penn State were asked to input calorie counts into a food tracking app.

The study revealed that students without specific calorie information tended to enter fewer calories than those with complete information.

One possible explanation? They were cheating themselves to feel healthier.

Self-deception and perception

A similar pattern emerged in the second study, which involved an online IQ test.

Participants who were allowed to cheat reported higher IQ scores. Furthermore, they genuinely believed their performance was due to their intelligence – not to the fact that they had cheated.

A third test, which was based on a word unscrambling task, further reinforced the self-deception phenomenon.

The participants who cheated not only reported unscrambling more words but were also more convinced that their performance was a true reflection of their intelligence.

“The thinking goes, ‘I’m performing well because I’m smart, not because the task allowed me to cheat,’” said Dr. Dommer.

Introducing uncertainty to curb cheating

A fourth experiment aimed to see if increased uncertainty about one’s financial literacy skills would deter participants from cheating.

Indeed, when faced with the sobering fact that most American adults cannot pass a basic financial literacy test, participants were less likely to inflate their scores.

“How do we stop people from engaging in diagnostic self-deception and get a more accurate representation of who they are? One way is to draw their attention to uncertainty around the trait itself. This seems to mitigate the effect,” noted Dr. Dommer.

The many faces of cheating

The assumption that cheating is always a strategic and intentional act is not entirely accurate. As Dommer’s research highlights, cheating can occur unconsciously as a means to boost one’s self-perception.

However, it’s essential to recognize the potential harm of these “illusory self-beliefs,” especially when they affect crucial aspects like financial or physical health.

“When a person engages in diagnostic self-deception, they may underuse products and services designed to help them. This is why it’s important to be aware of illusory beliefs and strive to seek accurate self-assessments,” said Dr. Dommer.

Beyond the illusion: Striking a balance

While self-deception can offer a temporary confidence boost, it raises an important question – how can individuals balance healthy self-perception with an honest evaluation of their skills?

Recognizing when self-deception is at play is the first step. Encouraging self-reflection, seeking objective feedback, and relying on concrete data rather than gut feelings can help counteract misleading self-beliefs.

Moreover, the findings highlight the broader implications of diagnostic self-deception beyond personal assessments.

From workplace performance to health management and financial planning, an inflated sense of ability can make a person overlook weaknesses and miss opportunities for growth.

Understanding this subtle but powerful psychological tendency might just be the key to fostering greater self-awareness – and ultimately, making more informed decisions in everyday life.

The full study was published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research.

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