The moral barrier effect: Real and imagined barriers can reduce cheating

Significance Dishonest behavior undermines the trust that is required for strong relationships and institutions. The present study offers an approach to discouraging dishonesty that involves a subtle environmental intervention. Specifically, we test the moral barrier hypothesis, which posits that moral violations can be inhibited by the introduction of spatial boundaries, including ones that do not physically impede the act of transgressing. We found that both real and imagined barriers, when placed strategically, were able to reduce cheating among 5- to 6-y-olds. These findings link spatial cognition to moral behavior and show that even seemingly unremarkable features of children’s environments can nudge them to act honestly.