Researchers have referred to this as the Morning Morality Effect: we’re better positioned to act ethically earlier in the day than later on.* Maryam Kouchaki, a researcher at Harvard University, has conducted several studies on this effect and concluded that her subjects were 20 to 50 percent more likely to be dishonest in the afternoon than in the morning. She also found that the effect is difficult to avoid regardless of where you are on the ethical scale. We’re all susceptible to unethical behavior.
