Experiments with real participants—and digital twins based on them—show how a small number of bad apples can spoil the whole barrel. However, the research scenarios don’t exactly mimic the real world

October 26, 2026 10:00 a.m.

Researchers wanted to know how the severity of rule violations can influence others' behaviors. Image by magnific

Whether it’s driving above the speed limit or sneaking snacks from home into the movie theater, most people have broken a rule here and there. But how do other people’s behaviors influence your rule-breaking tendencies?

Researchers conducted behavioral tests with real people and simulations using their digital twins and found that just a few extreme troublemakers could ignite a full-blown revolt.…