Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Cheating: The Influence of Direct Knowledge and Attitudes on Academic Dishonesty

What effect does witnessing other students cheat have on one's own cheating behavior? What roles do moral attitudes and neutralizing attitudes (justifications for behavior) play when deciding to cheat? The present research proposes a model of academic dishonesty which takes into account each of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ethics & behavior 2010-01, Vol.20 (1), p.47-64
Main Authors: O'Rourke, Jillian, Barnes, Jeffrey, Deaton, Anna, Fulks, Kristopher, Ryan, Kristina, Rettinger, David A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
academic dishonesty
Attitudes
Cheating
Dishonesty
Moral aspects
Rationalization
Student attitudes
Witnesses
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Summary:What effect does witnessing other students cheat have on one's own cheating behavior? What roles do moral attitudes and neutralizing attitudes (justifications for behavior) play when deciding to cheat? The present research proposes a model of academic dishonesty which takes into account each of these variables. Findings from experimental (vignette) and survey methods determined that seeing others cheat increases cheating behavior by causing students to judge the behavior less morally reprehensible, not by making rationalization easier. Witnessing cheating also has unique effects, controlling for other variables.
ISSN:1050-8422
1532-7019
DOI:10.1080/10508420903482616