Keeping up with the Joneses: Students' Perceptions of Academically Dishonest Behavior

Abstract

To understand undergraduate perceptions of academic dishonesty and honor codes, our participants estimated the likelihood that they, their friends, and the average college student would plagiarize or cheat on tests. Undergraduates reported that the average college student was most likely to cheat, their friends would be less likely to cheat, and they themselves would be the least likely to cheat. They did not believe that an honor code would have a large effect on their cheating behaviors, but it would reduce the cheating behaviors of their friends and the average student. We discuss these results in the context of social norms research.

Academic Dishonesty among Physical Therapy Students: A Descriptive Study

“…In addition, students' perceptions of the prevalence of AD have been found to be inaccurate. 41 There is a tendency to overestimate the prevalence of less desirable behaviours, as demonstrated when students are asked about drinking, drug use, and sexual activities; 42 likewise, students tend to overestimate cheating among their peers while believing their friends are more academically honest than the rest of their classmates and underreporting their own incidents of AD. 41 Our findings reflect similar trends: both Students and Educators overestimated AD among their peers relative to the actual self-reported rates.…”

“…41 There is a tendency to overestimate the prevalence of less desirable behaviours, as demonstrated when students are asked about drinking, drug use, and sexual activities; 42 likewise, students tend to overestimate cheating among their peers while believing their friends are more academically honest than the rest of their classmates and underreporting their own incidents of AD. 41 Our findings reflect similar trends: both Students and Educators overestimated AD among their peers relative to the actual self-reported rates. The link between selfreported and perceived rates of AD can be explained by social norms theory, 41 which suggests that people use others' behaviours as a basis for their own actions.…”

College Students’ Perceptions of and Responses to Cheating at Traditional, Modified, and Non-Honor System Institutions

“…To understand more fully the potential impact of a modified honor system on students' academic dishonesty, participants from an institution without an honor system estimated cheating behaviors at institutions with and without a modified honor system in place (Engler, Landau, & Epstein, 2008). Students completed a survey and reported their perceptions of different cheating behaviors (i.e., test taking and plagiarizing on papers) for themselves, their friends, and the Downloaded by [Tufts University] at 10:21 09 December 2014 average college student at their institution without an honor system.…”

ADHD Symptomatology, Academic Dishonesty, and the Use of ADHD Stimulant Medications Without a Prescription

“…These behaviors include copying homework, plagiarizing, and any other type of academic dishonesty or forgery (Engler, Landau, & Epstein, 2008). Although it is estimated that between 66% and 75% of college students participate in cheating behaviors, students are less likely to do so when they are able to display their own level of competence within a particular subject.…”

“…Another predictor of cheating behavior is the students' perceptions of their peers' attitudes towards the concept of cheating itself. Those who believe their friends and classmates partake in cheating behaviors are more likely to cheat as well (Engler et al,2008). Students who take stimulant medications without a prescription with the intent to better their grades are engaging in a form of academic dishonesty.…”