Self-Deception and White-Collar Crime

• In Event: Theory and Research on the Demographic and Psychological Characteristics of White-Collar Offenders

Abstract

Evolutionary biologists recognize that deception is an important evolutionary strategy and a fundamental feature of life in the natural world. Different forms of deception are practiced by innumerable species, including, of course, the human species. This paper presents a bio-social perspective on the role of deception and self-deception in white-collar crime. Specifically, drawing from Robert Trivers’s theory of self-deception in human life, we argue that the values that underlie American culture facilitate self-deception in white-collar offenders, which in turn facilitates their ability to deceive others. The ability to deceive others is important because deception is a key feature and operational requirement of successful white-collar crimes.

Authors

• Michael L. Benson, University of Cincinnati

• Francis T. Cullen, University of Cincinnati