Which students cheat more on average, those who attend Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill or NC State?

Behavioral economist and recipient of the 2014 William C. Friday Award Dan Ariely explored the answer to this question and more in his research. Ariely’s highly-regarded work has impacted on how people perceive their everyday choices and the choices of those around them.

Ariely accepted the award, named in honor of former UNC System President William C. Friday, in the Talley Student Union Ballroom Monday and spoke to more than 200 students and faculty members about his research.

“Ariely’s topics were very applicable to anyone’s life, especially as a student,” senior natural resources policy student Andrew Klein said after the event.

 Ariely, a James B. Duke Professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University, spoke about his research in behavioral economics. He studies what causes people to lie and be dishonest.

As it turns out, despite the audience’s best guess that the Tar Heel students may be more apt to cheat on academic assignments, Ariely concluded students from each Triangle university cheat equally.

“After studying in many universities and countries, I have found that everybody cheats the same,” Ariely said.

The audience and readers around the country have been fascinated by Ariely’s research because of the creative experiments he employs to get information.

Ariely has studied what happens when an apparently faulty vending machine dispenses free candy, whether subjects will accept a large bribe during a study and whether people will lie to get money if it benefits a charity.

“Dishonesty penetrates through social networks,” Ariely said. “It is not really what we believe is right or wrong, but what we think other people will find acceptable.”

Ariely’s data shows that people will rarely tell an outright lie when someone else is harmed by it, but people will decide what constitutes a lie based on the situation and how others perceive them.

“Many will illegally download music, but hardly anyone leaves a restaurant without paying. But who would be embarrassed to tell their friends that they downloaded a song?” Ariely said.

Ariely is from Israel, which is where he earned his B.A. in psychology at Tel Aviv University. He went on to earn a Master’s and Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from UNC-CH and a Ph.D. in business administration from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

Although he has several degrees to his name, Ariely presents his findings in a format accessible to the general public. He is the author of New York Times bestsellers Predictably Irrational, The Upside of Irrationality and The Honest Truth about Dishonesty. He also has delivered several TED Talks that have millions of online views.

The William C. Friday award was established in 2000 and honors Friday’s dedication and excellence in scholarship, leadership, character and service, and recognizes people who emulate Friday’s dedication to those principles.

The recipient is chosen by the Park Scholars’ senior class. Past winners have ranged from philanthropists and CEOs to scientists.

“We are honored to present this award embodying the spirit of William C. Friday’s ideals to Dan Ariely,” Austin Bath, a senior Park Scholar who presented the award, said at the event.