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Honesty versus Cooperation: A Reinterpretation of the Moral Behavior of Economics Students

    Laszlo Zsolnai ‘Honesty versus Cooperation: A Reinterpretation of the Moral Behavior of Economics Students.’ American Journal of Economics & Sociology, 2003, vol.62, no. 4, pp. 707-712

    A variety of empirical evidence suggests that economics students are less co-operative than students in other disciplines are. Anthony M. Yezer and his colleagues have recently provided a strong counter-example claiming that economics students behave in a more honest way than non-economics students do. Since honesty and co-operation are not the same there might be no contradiction between these two claims. Economics students seem to represent a special pattern of moral behavior that is characterized by respect for property rights and strong self-interest motivation at the same time.

    Honesty versus Cooperation- A Reinterpretation of the Moral Behavior of Economics Students