Cognitive Control and Cheating

Cognitive control plays an important role in regulating thoughts and behaviours in everyday human life. Controlling the impulse to cheat or not to cheat is no exception.

Speer et al. used EEG to find the activity pattern of cognitive control and compare it to the brain activity of participants during a cheating task. They found that theta activity meant participants were more likely to go against their moral default: cheaters were more likely to be honest, and honest people were more likely to cheat. As participants decided whether or not to cheat, the activity of theta brainwaves strengthened — an activity pattern representative of cognitive control.

For the research article please see here:

https://www.jneurosci.org/content/early/2021/09/03/JNEUROSCI.0666-21.2021

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *