10th Grade
Psychology
1490L
Is There a Cheater's High?
Romeo Vitelli, Ph.D.
2013
Passage Summary:
In this article, Romeo Vitelli, Ph.D., examines people like Frank Abagnale, the con artist, to determine whether or not the act of cheating—and getting away with it—can be a positive motivator.
When and How to Pair: Introduce this text after Chapter LXXXIII, in which Dantes reveals his true identity to Caderousse as he is dying — partly due to his own machinations. Ask students to discuss how Vitelli’s theories might shed light on Dantes’ true impulses. Although he says justice is the reason behind his actions, what role could a “cheater’s high” play in Dantes’ motivations? How might this affect his sense of morality?