Why College Students Cheat: A Conceptual Model of Five Factors

Abstract

Though numerous studies have identified factors associated with academic misconduct, few have proposed conceptual models that could make sense of multiple factors. In this study, we used structural equation modeling (SEM) to test a conceptual model of five factors using data from a relatively large sample of 2,503 college students. The results indicated that there is a significant direct association between students' reported lack of self-control and academic misconduct. The association between these two variables was also mediated by students' degree of academic preparation, their involvement in structured and non-structured leisure activities, their perception of opportunities to cheat, and their attitude toward academic misconduct.