Grateful Liars Gain Reliance in Reciprocal Relationships: Exploring the Potential Role of Gratitude in Mitigating the Impact of Lying

Abstract

Despite the general inclination of grateful individuals toward moral behavior, their actions may not always align with morality, such as if they conceal the dishonest behavior of benefactors. In this preregistered study, the author investigated how laypeople evaluate a grateful beneficiary (Person A) who lies to cover up their benefactor's (Person B's) dishonest behavior. Study 1 provided a basic exploration of situations without mentioning incentives for lying, whereas Study 2 examined situations wherein explicit incentives (i.e., shared project responsibilities) were presented. The results of both vignette experiments, each comprising three comparisons with their respective baselines, can be summarized in three points. First, the inclusion of Person A's gratitude context did not significantly increase participants' willingness to forgive them for covering up Person B's negligence at work. Second, participants' willingness to affiliate with Person A remained mostly unchanged compared with various baselines. Third, participants were more likely to expect Person A to reciprocate favors. In conclusion, lies stemming from gratitude foster neither forgiveness nor a desire for affiliation but help the individual gain reliance in reciprocal relationships.