Understanding the Link between Intelligence and Lying

Standard economic theory suggests that the decision to lie requires careful weighting of economic costs and benefits, raising the question of whether intelligence matters for misbehaviour. We compare behaviour between individuals who score either low or high on a Raven test when lying only benefits the subject who lies (Selfish treatment) or a charitable cause (Charity treatment). Unlike low Raven individuals who lie in both treatments, high Raven individuals are honest in the Selfish treatment but not in the Charity treatment. Our results have important implications for the existing lying literature, identifying intelligence as a key characteristic of misbehaviour