Unethical Minds: Individual Characteristics that Predict Unethical Behavior

What are the individual characteristics that predict unethical behavior? To answer this question we randomly interviewed 541 passengers who used the bus in Reggio Emilia (Italy). Exploiting the high level of fare evasion (43% without a valid ticket) we find that young, male and non-Caucasian individuals in our sample are more likely to travel without a ticket. Interestingly, traveling with others affects the probability of holding a valid ticket but its effect depends on who the passenger and the others are. Finally, we find that all passengers’ beliefs on fine costs, ticket inspection frequency, and number of passengers without ticket are surprisingly close with actual figures. However, cheaters perceive inspections as more frequent than those traveling with a valid ticket.