Why Getting Paid Less Changed Their Minds – The $1 vs. $20 Psychology Experiment
In 1959, a groundbreaking psychology experiment by Festinger and Carlsmith revealed a strange twist in human behavior: people paid just $1 to lie about boring tasks ended up believing their own lie, while those paid $20 didn’t. Why? The $1 group needed to justify the lie to themselves since the small amount didn’t cover the guilt of lying. But the $20 group? They had enough of a reason to lie without changing their beliefs. This fascinating study shows how we justify our actions when rewards (or lack thereof) challenge our honesty. Catch the full video on YouTube for the deep dive!