Motivations and Predictors of Cheating in Pharmacy School

Abstract

Objective. To assess the prevalence, methods, and motivations for didactic cheating among pharmacy students and to determine predictive factors for cheating in pharmacy colleges and schools. Methods. A 45-item cross-sectional survey was conducted at all four doctor of pharmacy programs in Northern California. For data analysis, t test, Fisher exact test, and logistic regression were used. Results. Overall, 11.8% of students admitted to cheating in pharmacy school. Primary motivations for cheating included fear of failure, procrastination, and stress. In multivariate analysis, the only predictor for cheating in pharmacy school was a history of cheating in undergraduate studies. Conclusion. Cheating occurs in pharmacy schools and is motivated by fear of failure, procrastination, and stress. A history of past cheating predicts pharmacy school cheating. The information presented may help programs better understand their student population and lead to a reassessment of ethical culture, testing procedures, and prevention programs.

Prevalence and factors associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms among Palestinian medical students

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Prevalence of depression and anxiety among undergraduate university students in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review protocol

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Prevalence and Correlates of Psychiatric Morbidities among Undergraduates in Health-Related Disciplines in Southwestern Nigeria

“…Other factors implicated in psychological morbidity among students include academic pressure, demanding workloads. (Elani et al, 2014), worry about own health (Borst et al, 2016), financial concerns, Borst et al, (2016, exposure to patients' suffering in the case of medical students, bertman et al 2016;Bovero et'al., 2014), and student abuse and mistreatment (cook et al 2014; Nguyen 2016).…”

“…Psychological distress among students may adversely influence their academic performance and quality of life and may contribute to alcohol and substance abuse decreased empathy, and academic dishonesty (Nguyen et al,2016;Mullan et al 2011). In light of the risks and consequences of psychological morbidity on students and the remarkable growth in university student numbers in Sub-Saharan Africa within the last 30 years (Mullan et al 2011).…”