Perrin, R. D. 2000. “Religiosity and Honesty: Continuing the Search for the Consequential Dimension.” Review of Religious Research 41(4): 534-544.
Can religiosity predict honest behavior? In this article, Perrin argues that it can, to an extent. Perrin presented 130 college students with an opportunity to be dishonest: the teaching assistant of a large lecture course handed back a quiz, graded so that each student received an extra point, and asked students to note whether any correction was needed. 44% of self-identified “born-again Christians” admitted they had received an extra point, compared to 26% who were not born-again. Likewise, 45% of those who attended religious services regularly admitted to receiving an extra point, compared to 13% of those who never or rarely attended services. While these differences were significant, the author cautions that “even among the highly religious, the majority of students were not honest.”
