COLLEGE CHEATING - 10 YEARS LATER

In this 10-year follow-up study of student cheating, we surveyed 474 u niversity students to (1) evaluate the extent of cheating; (2) assess attitudes toward cheating; (3) identify variables that discriminate be tween cheaters and noncheaters; (4) assess the relative effectiveness of various deterrents to cheating; and (5) examine changes in cheating attitudes and behaviors from 1984 to 1994. Most students (61.2%) repo rted cheating in 1994, up significantly from 54.1% in 1984 (Haines et al., 1986). Despite this increased cheating, students in 1994 were sig nificantly less likely than in 1984 to neutralize (rationalize) their cheating. Ten variables that discriminated between cheaters and nonche aters in 1984 did so again in 1994, and 12 additional discriminating v ariables were identified. A principal components analysis of these 22 variables indicated that, compared to noncheaters, cheaters are (1) le ss mature; (2) less reactive to observed cheating; (3) less deterred b y social stigma and guilt and more likely to neutralize cheating; (4) less personally invested in their education; and (5) more likely to be receiving scholarships, but doing less well in school. Both cheaters and noncheaters rated embarrassment and fear of punishment as the stro ngest deterrents to cheating; disapproval of one's friends was ranked as the least effective deterrent by both groups.