Heart & Mind: February 2012

Which takes more self-control? Lying well or telling the truth? Your answer might say a lot about how trustworthy you are.

According to a study by Harvard psychologists, telling the truth is the more challenging of the two—but only for those who are also willing to cheat.

Researchers invited participants to play a game in which they could, if they wanted to, lie for profit. Every round, the participants had to report whether they had correctly guessed the answer—but only after they saw what the answer was. If they guessed correctly, they earned money.