HONESTYLAB.COM //

Contribute to the first ever international study to investigate public perceptions of dishonesty.

Brunel University in West London and the British Science Association are calling for a review of the test for dishonesty, known as the Ghosh test, in criminal law.

Dr Stefan Fafinski and Dr Emily Finch, criminal lawyers and social scientists at Brunel Law School, believe that the Ghosh test is flawed because it is based on an unattainable common standard of ‘dishonesty’.

To discover how public perceptions of dishonesty can vary (and therefore affect the outcome of criminal trials), Brunel University and the British Science Association launched an international scientific study into dishonesty with The Honesty Lab (www.honestylab.com), an interactive online survey open to members of the public across the globe.

The aim is to get 20,000 people to complete the brief online study over the coming months and the results will be revealed at the British Science Festival in Surrey this September.

Under current criminal law, there is no definition of dishonesty but a defendant is found to have acted dishonestly if they were aware that their conduct was dishonest in the eyes of reasonable and honest people.

Honesty Lab will test the researchers’ prediction that there is no common standard of dishonesty in today’s society because there are many factors that affect our judgment of honest or dishonest acts, for example how the ‘defendant’ looks and whether or not we can relate to the person or act in question.

The site includes many features from video confessions, interactive questions, and the 'wall of shame', where visitors can post their naughtiest confessions to the world.

Design, development and hosting by Savage and Gray.

Visit the site and take part at www.honestylab.com