Prettymucheveryonehascheatedon a testatsomepointintheirlives.
Andwhileit's generallyfrowneduponand I don't condoneit, peekingatthenamesoftheGreatLakeson a geographytestwhenyou're 6 yearsolddoesn't meanyou'regonnagrowuptobe a horribleadult.
Elevatedcortisol, meanwhile, islinkedto a stateofchronicstressthatcanbealmostdebilitating, sothatcouldbe a powerfulmotivatorindecidingtocheat.
Thosewhocheatedalsoshowedlowerlevelsofcortisolafterthetest, consistentwith a reductionofemotionalstressyoumightexpectfromhavingsuccessfullycheatedon a test.
So, that's good? Notreally.
Thereductionofstresstriggered a powerfulstimulationintherewardcenterofthebrain, effectivelyreinforcingunethicalbehavior.