By Kurt Nelson, Ph.D. & Ben Granlund
![hands coming together over desk with text overlay](https://i2.wp.com/blog.lanterngroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Top-5-reasons-Bus-needs-BS-01.png?resize=629%2C272&ssl=1)
Imagine getting the chance to earn $2 for doing absolutely nothing. Would you turn this down?
Most people say no, yet study after study shows that people often refuse the $2 payout, sometimes more. Why is this?
![Cartoon of two people talking, one offering money and the other turning it down](https://i2.wp.com/blog.lanterngroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Fairness-Study-Cartoon-Social-Media-Proportions-5-1024x573.png?resize=629%2C352)
This strange behavior comes down to how we perceive fairness and retribution and can be observed in a simulation behavioral scientists call “the Ultimatum Game.”