Cheating Modulated by Time Pressure in the Matrix Task

Abstract

No studies have investigated dishonesty during a time pressure extension greater than that of seconds. The objective was to determine if cheating groups report having completed a larger number of matrices than non-cheating groups in the Matrix Task, under different time pressures. In the experiment, participants were required to solve as many matrices as possible within a given time frame and then received a monetary reward for each correctly solved matrix. Participants of each cheating and non-cheating conditions were divided into three groups depending on the time pressure to solve the problems: 2.5, 5, and 10 min. Participants in the cheating group stated that they had solved more matrices than those of the non-cheating group, both under the 5-min pressure. However, the same did not happen under the time pressures of 2.5 and 10 min, indicating that time pressure modulates dishonest behavior in different ways, depending on the extent of the time pressure evaluated.