Oxytocin's role in dual pathways of dishonesty: distinguishing conformity-driven and self-interest-driven behaviours

Abstract

This study explores the dual pathways of dishonesty - conformity-driven and self-interest-driven dishonesty - by examining the role of oxytocin (IN-OT) in modulating these behaviours. Through a placebo-controlled, double-blind experiment, we investigated how IN-OT impacts dishonesty under competitive and non-competitive contexts across genders. Results show that oxytocin significantly enhances conformity-driven dishonesty, particularly among males in non-competitive settings, aligning with the social salience hypothesis that oxytocin amplifies social cues. In contrast, self-interest-driven dishonesty remained unaffected by oxytocin, indicating its stability as an intrinsic trait. These findings reveal the context-dependent nature of oxytocin's influence on moral behaviour, highlighting how social factors and biological mechanisms intersect in dishonest actions. This study underscores the importance of distinguishing motivations behind dishonesty and offers insights into neurochemical interventions that could influence ethical behaviour within social and organizational settings.