Integrity and Behavior — Lecture Notes (Pages 13–34)

Flashcards cover key ideas from the sections on integrity, temptation, altruism, self-image effects (Galatea, Pygmalion, Golem), bias, and the role of culture and environment in ethical behavior.

In the Lincoln bribery anecdote, what does 'you were nearing my price' illustrate about integrity?

Integrity can have a price; Lincoln refused bribes and kept his principles despite offers that rose with the amount offered.

Who conducted the experiment with three- and five-year-old children to study temptation and honesty?

Michael Lewis and colleagues.

What did 38 percent of the three-year-olds admit in Lewis's study?

They looked behind them at the toy despite the instruction not to.

What proportion of five-year-olds had looked behind them in the study?

Two-thirds had looked behind them.

What did the bagel man (Feldman) data illustrate about everyday honesty over 20 years?

Initially about 95% of bagel takings were paid; over 20 years this declined to around 87%, with only occasional thefts and a notable 9/11-related recovery.

What does the phrase 'No ethics without pain' mean in this context?

Ethical decisions often involve costs or sacrifices; the ‘pain’ is part of acting ethically, while the warm glow is a bonus.

What did Warneken and Tomasello find about toddlers helping others?

Many toddlers (about 92%) helped at least once even when there was no reward, indicating a natural altruistic tendency.

What does Batson’s work suggest about when people help others?

People are more likely to help when they feel empathy for the person in need, even if costs exceed rewards.

What is the Galatea effect?

Self-image influences behavior; believing in one's own abilities can boost performance.

What is the Pygmalion effect?

Expectations held by others (e.g., teachers) can shape and improve the performance of those labeled as 'promising'.

What is the Golem effect?

Low expectations from others can lead to poorer performance.

What four factors did Rosenthal and Jacobson identify as changing students' achievement in their study?

Warmer social relations, more challenging material, more opportunities to respond, and higher-quality feedback.

How does the 'unpacking' intervention reduce self-serving bias?

Asking people to first state others’ contributions before their own reduces overestimation of one’s own input (e.g., from 139% to about 121%).

What is the 'dodo effect' in self-knowledge and mirages?

People tend to overestimate their own abilities and ethics; the belief that 'everyone wins' can mask biases.

What does attribution theory say about success and failure attribution?

People tend to attribute success to internal factors (talent/effort) and failure to external factors (circumstances or luck).

What is self-handicapping?

Creating excuses in advance to avoid blaming lack of ability if one fails to meet targets.

What do the 'rotten apple' and 'barrel/orchard' metaphors explain about corruption?

Corruption is not only due to individual 'rotten apples'; culture and environment (barrel/orchard) can spread and sustain corrupt practices.

What did Fisman and Miguel’s study with UN diplomats show about culture and corruption?

Diplomats from more corrupt countries accumulated more parking fines; culture of origin influenced behavior abroad.

What did Barr and Serra’s cross-national study find about bribes?

Nationality and the country’s corruption level correlated with how likely people were to offer or accept bribes.

What are ethical mirages?

Biases that make people think they are more ethical than they actually are, often leading to riskier behavior.

What does 'serving followed by earning' mean in business ethics?

Ethical action often involves serving others (customers, stakeholders) first, which can lead to lasting earnings; ethics involve cost and warmth.

What are the three related causes to understand behavior in organizations: dispositional, situational, and systemic?

Dispositional: personal traits; Situational: immediate circumstances; Systemic: broader culture and environment.

What is the main takeaway from the 'apples, barrels and orchards' chapter?

Corruption is often influenced by culture and environment, not just individuals; systemic factors matter.

What is the central question highlighted by the 'Pygmalion and Golem' discussion?

How do expectations (of others or of oneself) shape actual behavior and outcomes?