The Straits Times
13 April 2025

Cheating is often due to a combination of factors rather than a single reason, says Focus on the Family Singapore’s principal counsellor Alicia Boo.

She cites an experiment led by French economic professor Gilles Grolleau in 2016 which found that the fear of loss is a stronger driving force than a potential gain when it comes to cheating.

Participants were asked to solve a series of mathematical puzzles. Some participants were informed that they would be earning money for every puzzle they solved correctly, while others were given the maximum amount of money and told that for every wrong answer, money would be deducted.

The results showed that participants facing a potential loss were twice as likely to cheat than those who were earning money for their work.

“This has interesting implications on how we might understand the psyche of students, especially high-performing ones who may face the pressure of not wanting to lose their top rank,” says Ms Boo.

For the original article, please visit Why students cheat during exams and what parents can do to deter them