Finders keepers: the costs and benefits of (dis)honesty

Whether it is a stash of diamonds or a sum of cash, the law says you are required to surrender valuable finds to the police. So why are you more likely to hand in something worth thousands than the $50 note you find at the bus stop?

Earlier this year a Cairns woman cleaning her apartment at the end of her lease came across a stash of diamonds worth thousands of dollars. She handed them in to police and the rightful owner was found.

Last year a Nanango man found tens of thousands of dollars inside a timber cabinet he purchased from a recycling market and handed the find to police.

What drives these people to hand in their finds — what is the science behind their honesty?

"Honesty can be understood as the practice of telling the truth, or in other words, to avoid lying, cheating etcetera," said Dr Wendy Li, a senior lecturer in psychology at James Cook University.

"But one of the reasons people lie is to benefit in some way.

"So when we look at cases [where people find valuables] and don't hand them in, the benefits seem obvious — if you can quietly keep them."

The sticking point of the seemingly obvious benefit, Dr Li said, is being able to keep quiet about your find and do so with a clean conscience.

For the full story see http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-12/science-week-the-psychology-of-honesty/10109332

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