Groups and individuals were compared for their willingness to incur financial costs in order to punish
dishonest behavior by others. Study 1 demonstrated that dishonesty was punished more often by groups
than by individuals and that groups’ higher willingness to punish dishonesty was mediated by stronger
negative affect. Study 2 provided evidence that the increase in negative affect in groups was driven by
exposure to other group members’ negative feelings and opinions during group discussions. Overall,
the results suggest that being part of a group increases negative emotions toward dishonest others
and leads to a greater willingness to engage in costly punishment.