Lying to yourself? Study shows why simple cheating with crosswords or daily calorie intake may have real-world issues

Why do people cheat? This cheating is not in regard to relationships or against someone, but rather toward themselves. Cheating is generally associated with competition, but this is different.

Sometimes, people cheat in the most casual situations, like counting fewer calories than they actually ate or taking a sneak peek at answers while solving a puzzle. This light, low-consequence, low-risk cheating is very common. There may not even be any potential external reward other than internal ones, like feeling healthier or smarter. Yet, people still cheat.

A study published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research revealed that cheating is not just for external rewards like money or recognition. The study suggests that sometimes, people cheat to feel good, making themselves believe they possess certain qualities. They instil a false sense of confidence by deceiving themselves into thinking they are healthier or smarter.

Why do people cheat themselves?

This is an interesting form of dishonesty, which led Professor Sara Loughran Dommer from Penn State University to explore it more. Traditionally, cheating is often done for competition, rewards, or money. But this unique cheating type against themselves is more concerned about self-perception. Even when no one is watching, people cheat on the daily crossword puzzles, by looking at the answers before solving.

The researchers explained how this is contradictory. Usually, people can't reach the level of self-accomplishment, but the study explained that they reach the self-psychological benefits even after cheating, deceiving them of their worth.

The researchers did four studies that assessed this type of cheating in four areas: health, intelligence, and financial literacy. The participants can choose to refrain from truthfully answering, manipulating their responses.

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Consequences of false confidence

While these may seem innocuous and inconsequential, they do pose real-world consequences. The deception distorts the perception, so someone who underreports their calorie intake, actually, may not be able to embrace a healthier eating habit and eventually be unable to reach fitness goals.

Similarly, someone may exaggerate their financial literacy on a test but later make ill choices in real life. Decision-making will become a problem later on.

The false confidence may enhance self-image but, in the long run, may impact wellbeing, obstructing understanding of one's accurate capabilities. It's important to be honest with ourselves as well. With this false confidence, many may overestimate things, preventing genuine growth and improvement.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional advice.

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