Dr. Pat Barclay spoke to Wired about TikToks in which the creator rewards strangers with large sums of money for “good behaviour” during so-called honesty tests. 

Barclay said the videos can promote generosity and have a positive impact on viewers. 

“If we see someone be helpful and then get acknowledged for it, then we’re more likely to be helpful in turn. This raises the standard of what’s expected from us,” he said. 

A professor in the Department of Psychology, Barclay researches topics that include cooperation, altruism, reputation, partner choice and risk-taking.